Why the Federal Reserve’s ‘quantitative tightening’ will be held back October 3, 2017 Janet Yellen, the chair of the Federal Reserve (Fed), says she hopes that the reversal of QE will be as dull as “watching paint dry”. John Williams, San Francisco Fed President, said he hoped it is “boring”. Will they get their wish? Between 2009 and 2014 the QE programme saw the Fed create $3.5 trillion, [...]
Half of Heathrow Airport’s 25,000 noise complaints for the last three months of 2016 were made by 10 people April 3, 2017 Heathrow Airport received over 100,000 noise complaints for the total of 2016, with 25,672 made in the last three months of the year and half of those submitted by 10 people. From October to December, 10 people submitted 13,075 complaints between them, while five very persistent people complained more than 1,280 times in that period. [...]
Union recognition and 20-1 executive pay ratios: Here’s Jeremy Corbyn’s plan to upgrade the economy April 13, 2017 Only companies which give full recognition to trade unions and have a 20-1 pay ratio will be granted public procurement contracts under new proposals Jeremy Corbyn will announce today. In a speech at the Wabtec train maintenance company in Doncaster this afternoon, Corbyn will say he wants to use the £200bn the government spends on [...]
These six charts caught our attention in July August 2, 2017 Safe as houses In the UK, house price growth began to slow noticeably last year when stamp duty on buy-to-let and second homes increased. The slowdown continued after the announcement that the UK would be leaving the EU. Perhaps surprisingly, London has been hit harder than the rest of the UK. UK growth is sluggish [...]
Sajid Javid has just signalled a Budget concession on business rates February 22, 2017 Communities secretary Sajid Javid has today signalled a government concession on support for firms facing substantial hikes in business rates later this year. The government has previously promised a £3.6bn package for transition measures, but Javid said today that he was working closely with chancellor Philip Hammond on demands for further support. Despite defending the incoming [...]
London Bridge attacks: Facebook, Google and Twitter respond after Prime Minister Theresa May accuses them of providing “safe space” for terrorists June 4, 2017 Silicon Valley tech giants have responded after Prime Minister Theresa May accused internet companies of providing a “safe space” for terrorism in the wake of the attacks at London Bridge. In a strongly worded speech, May set her sights on the companies as one of the four important ways “things need to change” in the [...]
Why the vaping industry is ready to send Brussels’ ill- conceived red tape up in smoke May 18, 2017 The 8 June is clearly going to be the date at the forefront of everyone’s mind over the coming weeks. But there’s another date soon upon us that has huge ramifications for the UK’s 3m vapers and the vaping industry. On 20 May, the next phase of the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) takes effect. [...]
Following a furious reaction to the National Insurance hike, was the Budget bad news for entrepreneurs? March 8, 2017 Chris Bryce, chief executive of the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed, says Yes. The chancellor heralded the UK’s economic strength and “record employment”, but then proceeded to hit the very people responsible for delivering this. No matter which way you choose to work, the self-employed now face a potentially hefty tax bill. [...]
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) asset management market shake-up: How the City has reacted – Aberdeen Asset Management, Gina Miller, AJ Bell June 28, 2017 The financial watchdog has announced its plans to reform the asset management market, after carrying out a review of the £7 trillion industry over the past two years. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) launched a competition investigation into the sector in 2015, and today the regulator made recommendations for remedies in three areas to address [...]
Iceland defrosts the capital controls it put in place because of the 2008 financial crisis March 12, 2017 The Icelandic government announced today it will be completely lifting on Tuesday the capital controls it put in place against country's individuals, firms, and pension funds to keep it propped during the fallout of the financial crisis. The government and Central Bank of Iceland have been over the last year whittling down the controls, which were put [...]