Our overly centralised tax system has exacerbated the business rates debacle February 22, 2017 Business rates may not be the most captivating subject for most City A.M. readers. But the impact of a delayed revaluation on our shops, pubs and cafes might well be. Changes affecting the £25bn a year tax that ultimately goes to pay for social care, schools, Tube trains and roads are due to come into [...]
Sadiq Khan slams Boris Johnson’s “toothless” Concordat housing scheme at Mayor’s Question Time June 22, 2016 Sadiq Khan has slammed former mayor Boris Johnson's flagship housing scheme for failing to stop new London homes being sold as "golden bricks" to overseas investors. Johnson's Concordat scheme, which was launched in 2014, was pitched as the solution to stopping major developers advertising London homes abroad first for overseas buyers, who had months more [...]
Amber Rudd’s WhatsApp encryption remarks: Here’s how experts in tech, policy, intelligence and security reacted March 27, 2017 Amber Rudd has sparked concern by suggesting that WhatsApp, the Facebook owned messaging service, should give access to encrypted communications to security services (read more about it here). The remarks came in the wake of the terrorist attack on Parliament and the revelation that the attacker, Khalid Masood, sent a WhatsApp message shortly before. Experts [...]
Westminster terror attack: This is the latest update from the Metropolitan police March 24, 2017 The Metropolitan Police gave Londoners more information this morning on the ongoing investigation into the attacks at Westminster earlier this week. The capital was rocked by the terror attack outside the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday afternoon, which left five dead. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the tragic incident yesterday. Delivering a statement outside New [...]
The road to Brexit: what next for shares, sterling and property? March 9, 2017 The UK government is expected to trigger Article 50 by the end of this month, signalling the start of a two-year process that will see the country leave the EU. The Brexit process started on 20 February 2016 when then Prime Minister David Cameroncalled a referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU. The [...]
Voters will be asked to show ID at the ballot box as government aims to crackdown on voter fraud December 27, 2016 Voters will be asked to provide proof of identification at polling stations in a government trial scheme to reduce electoral fraud. At local elections in 2018, different local authorities in England will ask voters to provide different forms of ID including driving licences, utility bills or passports. The initiative follows a report into electoral fraud and how to [...]
Budget 2016: With Crossrail 2 and the opportunity for London to keep its business rates, there were bright spots for the capital March 16, 2016 With the ‘storm clouds gathering’, the Budget revealed additional pain for public servants – an extra £3.5bn in spending cuts over the remainder of the parliament. For many this Budget will feel like just another twist in the story of fiscal austerity over this decade, adding further momentum to massive changes that are already under [...]
Seatbelt laws created a new danger – and a lesson for investors April 18, 2017 Australia was first to enact seatbelt legislation in 1970, creating some unexpected results. It underlines an important point for investors about risk, according to value investing blogger Kevin Murphy. No matter what anyone may tell you or try to do, attempts to reduce risk in any system – investment or otherwise – only succeed in [...]
Why unleashing competition would deliver lower fares and greater choice to rail passengers January 9, 2017 The UK’s rail passengers are suffering, and will no doubt continue to do so over the coming months. Union action is bringing the network to a standstill, with further strikes planned for this week. The level of sickness leave among train staff has also been mysteriously increasing, and has doubled compared to pre-strike levels, according [...]
Counting the pennies: No Las Vegas party for AFC Wimbledon chief Erik Samuelson as focus turns to plotting path to Championship May 31, 2016 While AFC Wimbledon’s promotion-winning players were on a plane to Las Vegas for a celebratory jaunt paid for by a mystery supporter, chief executive Erik Samuelson was today back at his desk putting the finishing touches to next season’s budget. The champagne had barely stopped bubbling but thoughts within the club’s hierarchy had already turned to [...]