Neil Kinnock: Mansion tax is just the cost of lunch for the “prosperous” February 18, 2015 Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock has dismissed fears that the so-called mansion tax would hurt the pockets of middle class Londoners, saying it was little more than they spend on lunch. The controversial policy being put forward by the shadow government would see a levy imposed on homes worth more than £2m. The [...]
Plain cigarette packaging will be introduced in the UK before the general election January 21, 2015 Plain packaging for cigarettes will be coming to the UK much sooner than expected, marking an end to years of wrangling over whether or not the scheme would actually work. Health minister Jane Ellison said the government would bring in legislation before the end of this Parliament, giving it time to be agreed by both [...]
Britain’s quiet FinTech revolution has begun – and we’re determined to back it March 9, 2015 Whisper it, but there is a quiet revolution going on in British banking. If you don’t work in the financial world, you may never even have heard of the UK’s burgeoning financial technology or “fintech” sector. And you almost certainly won’t know about the opportunities it offers. So what is fintech? For me, it is [...]
From the leaders debate to the Holborn fire: Here’s what got us talking this week April 2, 2015 There was a fire. Then there was another fire. And in Salford, there were fireworks (or was it a damp squib?). Considering it was a short week, plenty happened. Here's what got us talking. 1. And they were off. It may feel like they've been at it for weeks, but Monday was officially the [...]
Labour promises to keep corporation taxes low in bid to shed anti-business image February 16, 2015 Labour today promised to keep corporate taxes competitive should the party win the general election, but to shift the focus to small firms and workers. In a bid to counter the party’s anti-business image, Ed Miliband pledged to implement an industrial policy which he said would help firms of all sizes, as well as lower-paid [...]
Anti-business? The Labour Party’s real problem is that it’s anti-market February 9, 2015 The war of words between Boots and the Labour Party has led to much political soul-searching. The salient question seems to be: “is Labour anti-business?” This is not particularly interesting. “Business”, after all, is not some homogenous entity. Many claim to be the “voice of business,” but the loudest tend to be those representing the [...]
London mayor election: Who has declared in the race to succeed Boris Johnson? June 17, 2015 The London mayor election will take place next year and, with incumbent Boris Johnson standing down to focus on his role in Parliament, the field is filling with candidates who have already declared their intentions to run. Five Conservative candidates are looking to succeed Johnson, while six Labour candidates, two Greens, one Independent and a [...]
Greeks submit reform plans: Yanis Varoufakis’ proposals to Brussels – and the points of contention February 24, 2015 The hard work of negotiating a new Greek settlement looked set to begin in earnest yesterday as the Eurogroup ministers accepted Athens’ list of proposals as a starting point for talks. Greece was supposed to send the list to officials on Sunday or Monday, but the letter was finally sent yesterday. It includes changes to tax [...]
HSBC share price closes higher as it launches review into leaving UK April 24, 2015 Shares in HSBC closed more than three per cent up at 631.4p after the bank revealed it is investigating the possibility of leaving the UK. Chairman Douglas Flint said this morning that, spooked by a tighter regulatory environment, HSBC's board has launched a review into moving its headquarters out of the UK. More on this [...]
Austria backs Greek debt plan ahead of crunch talks February 9, 2015 GREECE’S firebrand finance minister is set for vital discussions with his European counterparts tomorrow as tensions flare up between the country and Germany. Meanwhile, new Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras met with Austrian chancellor Werner Faymann in Vienna yesterday, where he received support for his debt renegotiation plans. “It’s a European obligation to seriously consider the [...]