Make the Tories Conservative again? October 23, 2024 A particularly laughable defence of socialism is that it’s never really been tried. It’s tempting to dismiss the central analysis of both candidates for the Tory leadership – that their Party lost the general election because they were not conservative enough in government – on similar grounds. But it would be a mistake to imagine [...]
Co-op boss: Reform broken business rates system at Budget October 23, 2024 The current business rates system is “fundamentally broken” and is in need of urgent reform at the Budget, the chief executive of the Co-op has warned in an interview in which she also endorsed Labour’s contentious workers’ rights package. Shirine Khoury-Haq told the Today Programme that business rates were one of the driving forces behind [...]
Starmer should make trade with Saudi Arabia a top priority October 22, 2024 The UK and Saudi Arabia have long cultivated strong ties. A bilateral trade relationship represents trade in goods and services between the two of a significant £17.6 billion for the 12 months to the end of Q1 of 2024.* Crucially, the Saudi government is investing billions into the UK economy through the Saudi sovereign wealth [...]
Autumn Budget: Which taxes will Rachel Reeves hike? October 22, 2024 With the Autumn Budget set to be delivered in just a few days, speculation about which taxes Chancellor Rachel Reeves will opt to raise has reached fever pitch. On entering No 11 Downing Street, Reeves commissioned the Treasury to conduct a thorough spending audit, which she claimed unearthed a “fiscal black hole” of £22bn, paving [...]
Margaret Thatcher’s Westminster home is up for sale October 21, 2024 Political junkies, rejoice! The central London house, which served as Margaret Thatcher’s home after she fell from power and John Major’s headquarters during his tenure, is officially up for sale at £3.65m. The three-bedroom Georgian townhouse on Great College Street packs a political punch. It has also served as a place for Conservatives to gather [...]
UK banks brace for Budget tax raid despite lobbying efforts October 21, 2024 UK banks are bracing for a tax raid in Labour's maiden Budget as new analysis reveals the sector is already paying a significantly higher rate than counterparts in the US and EU.
How Poland and Vietnam escaped poverty October 17, 2024 In a new book, Rainer Zitelmann examines how Poland and Vietnam escaped the ravages of the Cold War to become some of the world’s fastest growing economies – and argues that poverty isn’t inevitable, it’s a policy choice says Kristian Niemietz Case studies in recent economic history typically deal with unambiguous success stories, or unambiguous [...]
UK and EU energy giants call for post-Brexit North Sea ‘green power hub’ October 15, 2024 UK and EU energy firms are urging their governments to overhaul the post-Brexit trading set up in a bid to construct a North Sea “green power hub” and unlock investment. Some 20 top power firms and lobby groups have written an open letter to European and British energy ministers to urge them to prioritise a [...]
Bellway profit craters but shares jump on strong look-ahead October 15, 2024 Despite a significant drop in completions and profit, housebuilder Bellway has said it is well-positioned to deliver growth going forward and supports the Government’s plan to unlock housing construction. Shares surged by more than eight per cent in early trades. Bellway told markets this morning that profit fell by 44.6 per cent in the year [...]
UK business confidence stands at nine-year high – but signs of unease emerge October 14, 2024 UK business confidence has hit a nine-year high in 2024, according to a closely-watched survey, although firms' economic optimism dipped ahead of expected tax hikes in the Budget.