What the other papers say this morning – 07 November 2013 November 6, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES NHS drugs bill frozen for pledge The drug industry has agreed to a near-freeze in the £12bn bill to the NHS of branded medicines over the next five years, in exchange for a political pledge to support increased use of new treatments. The launch of a new Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) yesterday [...]
Japanese brewer in talks to buy Glaxo’s Ribena and Lucozade September 5, 2013 JAPANESE group Suntory Beverage & Food is in advanced talks to buy Lucozade and Ribena from pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). A person close to the company told City A.M. that the two drinks brands are likely to be sold for between £1bn to £1.5bn and that a deal could be completed within days. However, the [...]
Why the London Docklands hold the key to tackling the UK housing crisis October 1, 2013 HOW DO we solve Britain’s housing crisis? Ed Miliband has promised to see 200,000 homes built each year by 2020. But his pledge was linked to a misguided initiative to stop developers hoarding land (the Office for Fair Trading couldn’t find any evidence that this actually happens). The Tories, meanwhile, are bringing forward the second [...]
Why the London Docklands hold the key to tackling the UK housing crisis September 30, 2013 HOW DO we solve Britain’s housing crisis? Ed Miliband has promised to see 200,000 homes built each year by 2020. But his pledge was linked to a misguided initiative to stop developers hoarding land (the Office for Fair Trading couldn’t find any evidence that this actually happens). The Tories, meanwhile, are bringing forward the second [...]
City Matters: Tangible steps forward in the UK-China relationship will deliver real benefits October 20, 2013 WITH both George Osborne and Boris Johnson flying the flag for British business in China last week, it is worth taking stock of this increasingly important UK-Sino relationship. As the government rightly recognises, the UK and London need to be plugged into fast-growing global markets like China in order to succeed in the global race. [...]
Reactions to the chancellor’s statement December 5, 2013 THE BUSINESS GROUPDirector general of the CBIJohn Cridland The CBI had lobbied the government to cap business rates at two per cent and support business finance. “We have always advocated the dual approach of tackling the deficit and driving growth – the OBR forecasts confirm it is working. Let’s stick with what works. “The pressure [...]
UK manufacturing is growing at its fastest since March 2011 August 1, 2013 New figures show that the UK's manufacturing sector is growing at its fastest rate since March 2011, as Markit's purchasing manager's index (PMI) rises to 54.6. That's well ahead of expectations of a rise from 52.5 to 52.8. The pound rose sharply by nearly a cent against the dollar to more than $1.52 on the [...]
UK manufacturing output and new orders rise at fastest pace since 1994 September 2, 2013 The UK's manufacturing outlook for output and new orders has hit a 1994 high, as output and new orders expand sharply, according to new data from Markit. While analysts had expected a jump from 54.8 (revised up from 54.6) to 55.0, the survey smashed expectations, rising to 57.2. That main index a two and a [...]
ECB paves way for next year’s tougher-than-expected bank stress test October 23, 2013 The European Central Bank (ECB) today announced that the stress test it'll be meting out on Eurozone banks as of this November will be tougher than many had anticipated. (Release) The three-part assessment will require all banks to have a capital ratio of eight per cent, and will take 12 months to complete. Michael Symonds [...]
Energy price fixing and tax hikes would quickly see economic reality bite September 24, 2013 ED MILIBAND made two big new pledges in his speech yesterday: lower business rates for small businesses, paid for by higher corporation tax on larger firms; and a freeze in energy prices for 20 months from the date of the next election. Economic reality would quickly bite for any government that tried to introduce either [...]