What does the latest forecast mean for Osborne’s budget? March 10, 2016 Following David Cameron and George Osborne's failure to extend Sunday trading laws, more bad news has arrived in the form of the ICAEW's economic forecast which could spell trouble for Osborne's Budget proposal next week. ICAEW's forecast has UK companies investing less this year due to declining business confidence, volatile global financial markets and a fall in [...]
Tube strike 2016: This weekend’s RMT action would be illegal under new Trade Union Bill laws Labour candidate Sadiq Khan opposes February 5, 2016 Conservative mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith and his Labour opponent Sadiq Khan are trading harsh words over this weekend’s RMT strike, with both candidates saying more industrial action is likely to happen under their rival’s watch. Goldsmith’s team said the strikes planned for this weekend would be illegal under the government’s Trade Union Bill – a [...]
Budget 2016: Chancellor George Osborne is less likely to become Conservative leader according to bookmakers as Labour takes the lead in poll March 18, 2016 In the wake of a Budget that failed to impress a range of spectators, chancellor George Osborne's support has slumped, with bookmakers widening his odds of becoming the next Prime Minister. After his much criticised Budget on Wednesday, Osborne has now been inflated from 11/4 to 3/1 by William Hill to succeed David Cameron, with [...]
Local governments demand more control over starter homes after warning they will be unaffordable February 17, 2016 Local governments have today warned Westminster that discounted starter homes will be unaffordable to the majority that need them unless the scheme is given more flexibility. First-time buyers will be able to buy 200,000 new starter homes over the next five years at a discount of at least 20 per cent to market value. Research by [...]
Why is Britain becoming less productive? Economists blame everyone from government to investors to statisticians April 7, 2016 The UK’s productivity has been trundling along at a less than spectacular pace for a number of years. This morning, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed it actually fell 1.2 per cent in the final quarter of 2015, raising concerns about the general state of the UK economy. But what is productivity, why [...]
Fifa election 2016 result: New president Gianni Infantino beats Sheikh Salman to be elected as Sepp Blatter’s successor February 26, 2016 Fifa has elected Gianni Infantino as its new president. The Swiss-Italian lawyer will replace Sepp Blatter and lead football's governing body from 2016 to 2019. Infantino saw off competition from rival Sheikh Salman by winning the majority of votes from Fifa's member associations in the second round of voting. The former secretary general of Uefa received 115 [...]
Twitter, eBay, LinkedIn and about a dozen other technology giants file legal brief supporting Apple in its iPhone encryption row March 3, 2016 Seventeen household names in the tech sector have filed a legal brief with a court in California today, backing Apple in its dispute over iPhone encryption. Apple has recently been embroiled in a dispute with US authorities after the technology company refused to unlock the iPhone of one of the attackers involved in the fatal San Bernardino [...]
Take red tape burden away from UK startups January 26, 2016 As an economically-literate and highly-educated reader of City A.M., you will no doubt be familiar with the theory of “bootleggers and baptists”, coined by regulatory expert Bruce Yandle. It goes as follows – regulations are typically supported by self-styled moral crusaders (the baptists), but also by commercial interests that stand to benefit from the measures. [...]
It’s crunch time for the European Union as multiple crises stretch union to the limit, says Economist Intelligence Unit April 21, 2016 The European Union is facing a multitude of crises that have pushed it to its limit, experts have warned. The region's problems are far from disappearing, and are instead being exacerbated by questions on issues such as freedom of movement, security and democracy. The report from Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) comes ahead of the UK's [...]
High duty rates help explain why the UK cider industry is under threat March 14, 2016 The cider industry is woven into the fabric of Britains’s heritage and plays a vital role in our rural economy. There are more than 500 cider makers in the UK, with some 7,000 people employed in the industry. More than that, it is an industry that generates £1bn in apple supply contracts and £100,000,000 in exports. However, [...]