Ed Miliband’s road from awkward little brother to Milifan idol: The man who would be General Election king May 6, 2015 Whether he's tucking into a bacon sandwich while sauce falls everywhere, chatting with mums about the importance of fatherhood or posing for hen-do selfies, Ed Miliband's encounters with the general public never fail to cause a stir. But as the General Election campaign reaches its finale, the Labour leader will be hoping to [...]
General Election 2015: Why I will be voting Labour, by Simon Franks May 6, 2015 As a nation, today we need to decide which party is most likely to deliver the kind of society we want. The society I want is balanced, dynamic, outward looking, just, entrepreneurial, and meritocratic. A society full of opportunities for all, regardless of where you live, what your parents do, or what type of school [...]
Natalie Bennett struggles to explain how the Green Party will pay for “post-Thatcherite” Britain April 14, 2015 Green Party leader Natalie Bennett has struggled to explain how the massive tax rises proposed in her party's manifesto would generate enough revenue to fund the Greens' extravagant spending plans. The Greens want the top tax rate raised to 60p, introduce a wealth tax of 1-2 per cent on people worth £3m, introduce a financial [...]
Five takeaways from the European Central Bank’s April press conference April 15, 2015 You may have been slightly distracted when a glitter-wielding protester leapt onto the table infront of European Central Bank governor Mario Draghi today. If so, here's a quick re-cap of one of the more memorable pressers: Greek debt negotiations: Draghi emphasised that the ball remains in Greece's court. The further provision of Emergency Liquidiy Assistance (ELA) [...]
Ukip’s economic policies fail the credibility test March 23, 2015 When Ukip released a list of 100 of its policies in January, the words “debt” and “deficit” were not mentioned once. In fact, the only time it mentioned the word “budget” was with respect to its intention to cut foreign aid spending. Of course, as today’s speeches by Nigel Farage and Patrick O’Flynn made very [...]
Eight takeaways from Yanis Varoufakis’ submission to Greece’s lenders February 24, 2015 It was only a matter of time, but the six-page document submitted by the Greek government to Eurozone leaders this morning showing the measures it plans to take in return for a four-month extension to its bailout deal has been leaked online. The FT published a copy of the document, and the contents are enlightening. [...]
Pension changes April 2015: Huge demand sees pension groups Aviva, Prudential and Pension Wise open for bank holiday business April 7, 2015 Pension firms have put extra measures in place to deal with the impact of the new pension rules, which came into play yesterday. The reforms mean savers aged 55 and over will no longer be forced to buy an annuity with their pension pot, and instead will be allowed to cash in as much of [...]
General Election 2015: AA CFO Martin Clarke wants honesty on NHS spending and an end to non-dom tax breaks April 20, 2015 ELECTION COUNTDOWN: 16 DAYS TO GO Every day until the final week of the election campaign, we ask a business leader to say what policies would entice them to vote for a particular party. MARTIN CLARKE: CFO, AA ■ Had the courage to admit that throwing money at the NHS is not [...]
Greek crisis complacency has big risks – CNBC Comment June 1, 2015 Would you believe that 14 weeks have already passed since the Greek bailout extension deal was agreed? That’s about 2,352 hours of twists and turns, reform talks, rumours and misinformation. No wonder most analysts and investors admit to being bored. But is that boredom breeding complacency, and can investors dare to hope that this week [...]
Rugby to use TV replays to detect concussion February 10, 2015 TELEVISION replays could be used in rugby union to identify players suffering from possible concussion following controversy over the treatment of Wales wing George North. Wales yesterday escaped punishment from World Rugby for failing to remove North during Friday’s Six Nations defeat to England after the Northampton player had appeared to be momentarily knocked out. [...]