Why there won’t be much property magic in the Autumn Statement November 21, 2016 There is a long list of measures which, were they to appear in this Wednesday’s Autumn Statement, would be regarded as a magical outcome for us real estate types. For example: serious increases in the capital budget to fund infrastructure, which is both a facilitator of new development and a prerequisite for community acceptance of [...]
Autumn Statement 2016: Here’s how analysts have reacted to Philip Hammond’s speech November 23, 2016 Here's how analysts have reacted to chancellor Philip Hammond's first – and last – Autumn Statement. National Living Wage hike Guy Stallard, director at KPMG, said: Today’s announcement will see a significant number of workers aged 25 and above get a pay rise of 30p an hour to £7.50 from next April. This may seem [...]
Brexit is a chance to reboot Britain’s stagnant productivity performance – as long as we also return monetary policy to normal October 31, 2016 Productivity is the key driver of economic prosperity. From 1945 to 1980 Britain performed poorly on productivity growth, particularly in the 1970s when the UK joined the European Community. The 1980s saw a sharp improvement in UK productivity growth, sustained for much of the 1990s and early 2000s. Alas, the UK’s productivity performance has since [...]
How to get more women to the very top of the business world March 8, 2017 This International Women’s Day, I have been thinking about why – after so many years of discussion – we still need an “international day” to commit to working towards gender equality. As a female chief executive of a global professional body, I am unusual and most of my peers are men. ACCA has helped buck [...]
Philip Hammond has gifted Britain a third decade of gross fiscal irresponsibility November 23, 2016 If it ever truly began, it really does look like the era of austerity is over. After the savage cuts of George Osborne’s days, when current spending was slashed by an eye watering 0.2 per cent, Philip Hammond has decided enough is enough. The borrowing forecasts from yesterday’s Autumn Statement were diabolical. A surplus is now not [...]
Deficit creeps down but government spending still higher than expected September 21, 2016 The government was forced to borrow a whopping £10.5bn in August as the aim to reduce the deficit suffers its latest stumble. The shortfall, which measures the difference between how much the government spends and receives in tax revenues, was down from £11.4bn in the same month last year, but still higher than economists' expectations. [...]
Chancellor should use Autumn Statement to boost business confidence, as British Chambers of Commerce finds trade hopes are beginning to flounder November 1, 2016 The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is today calling on Philip Hammond to use his first Autumn Statement to boost business confidence, after its figures found overseas trade hopes were beginning to slip away. While its latest Quarterly International Trade Outlook, which it produces alongside DHL, found exporters had benefited from the recent slump in sterling, [...]
How low rates affect stockmarket returns December 5, 2016 The world has been living with low interest rates for eight years but such periods are not new. Both the US and UK saw rates below 1% for most of the two decades spanning the Second World War, while Japan has been living with sub-1% rates since 1995. Stockmarkets performed very differently in each case, [...]
Landlords threaten to hike rents after tax changes kick in October 1, 2016 Landlords have claimed they will be forced to raise rents as a result of the government's string of tax changes and crackdowns on the buy to let sector. A new survey also revealed private sector landlords will not be able to invest as much in improving their properties as a result of the extra charges [...]
With diverging monetary policy and more political uncertainty, should investors expect 2017 to be the year that growth makes a comeback? January 3, 2017 This year is being heralded as a new dawn for markets. The economic malaise which has dogged developed economies since the financial crisis will finally subside; the battle against deflation has been won; fiscal stimulus is firmly on the agenda, and real growth will return. Such optimistic assessments may prove to be on the money. [...]