Why the disadvantaged have been education reform’s biggest winners August 13, 2015 THE SCHOOL reforms in England since 2010 have been underpinned by the rationale that a good education is emancipating and liberating; that it allows access to a world of opportunities and interests where an individual’s destiny is in their own hands. In order to achieve that goal, the coalition and now the Conservatives have undertaken [...]
Frackers rejoice after council warms to shale as Cuadrilla’s Lancashire proposal wins backing June 15, 2015 Frackers yesterday welcomed planning officers’ backing of Cuadrilla’s shale gas proposal at a site in Lancashire, saying it shows that communities are starting to warm to the controversial energy extraction technique. Lancashire council planning officers recommended that the council should approve Cuadrilla’s fracking application at the Preston New Road site when a decision is [...]
Will ending onshore wind farm subsidies make a real difference to customers’ bills? June 18, 2015 Amber Rudd, energy and climate change secretary, says Yes If we’d allowed the existing subsidy arrangement to continue, we could have ended up with more projects than we can afford – which would have led to either higher bills, or other renewable technologies losing out on support. Our cap on renewable energy spending gives as [...]
Following the Kids Company fiasco, what does alternative finance such as peer-to-peer and crowdfunding offer charities? August 20, 2015 What's the connection between charities and alternative finance? Currently, the answer is not a lot – charities are often big, well-oiled machines, and peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding platforms are still very new. But do the latter offer the former something? The ongoing Kids Company fiasco has put the charity model under scrutiny. And the [...]
Queen’s Speech 2015: Here’s everything that was said about the EU referendum, employment, tax, the Human Rights Act and Scottish devolution May 27, 2015 The EU referendum is on; taxes will be locked in at current levels and strike laws are being reformed. The Queen's Speech has come to an end, and we have been presented with the legislation the government intends to pursue over the coming parliamentary session. While global cooperation, reducing the deficit and sticking to the [...]
Budget 2015: City hit by Google tax and bank levy hike March 18, 2015 The government's bank levy will be increased by 0.21 per cent, in an effort to raise £900m, the chancellor announced today. The measures were being taken so banks "make a bigger contribution to the repair of our public finances", George Osborne said during his Budget speech. Lenders will also be prevented from offsetting PPI compensation [...]
The whole country can celebrate the Aim market’s twentieth anniversary June 18, 2015 Twenty years ago today, on 19 June 1995, London Stock Exchange launched Aim, a new market for ambitious growing businesses. With only 10 companies admitted on the first day of trading, with an aggregate value of just £82m, few might have envisaged it would be celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year. Since its inception, [...]
Dear Queen, here’s everything business wants you to say in your speech May 26, 2015 On Wednesday the Queen will give her Speech from the Throne, setting out the policy plan for the Conservative government. Big topics to be covered include the EU referendum, which Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to hold within the next two years, housing, immigration, and devolution for cities outside London. Many of the [...]
London Technology Week: Britain’s brilliant at FinTech – now it must realise its global ambitions June 17, 2015 Anyone who’s seen Love Actually will remember the speech by Hugh Grant as the Prime Minister when he stands up to the US President and explains some of the unique things about Great Britain that make our nation truly great. “We may be a small country, but we're a great one, too. The country of [...]
Greece and its creditors bring reforms to table June 2, 2015 EUROZONE officials will discuss two sets of Greek reform proposals today in a bid to finally wrap up more than four months of negotiations over the embattled country’s future. Greece and its creditors are looking to finalise a cash-for-reforms deal to keep the state from going bankrupt in the coming weeks. Between now and 19 [...]