Autumn Statement 2015: Chancellor George Osborne hires Rothschild to look into selling off Land Registry November 17, 2015 Chancellor George Osborne is once again considering privatising the Land Registry, hiring bankers to look at selling off the state-owned agency. The government has reportedly asked Rothschild, the investment bank, to consider options for selling Land Registry, which is part of the department for business, innovation and skills and maintains records of all property transactions [...]
Andrew Tyrie is demanding an investigation of Nissan’s talks with Downing Street December 1, 2016 The chair of a senior parliamentary watchdog is demanding an investigation into Downing Street's talks with Nissan. The Prime Minister hosted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn in October ahead of the decision by the automaker to continue to manufacture its new Qashqai in Sunderland. Ministers have since denied that any special offer was made to the firm [...]
Autumn Statement 2015 UK: Here’s how much each London borough makes from business rates November 25, 2015 The much-maligned business rates system could be in for a shakeup during today's Autumn Statement, after retailers held talks with the Treasury to demand urgent reforms to the regime. While some have suggested a major shakeup, including a revaluation of properties to ease pressure on retailers paying rates on properties last valued at the height [...]
Council tax soars by 58 per cent as UK councils prepare for more tax hikes following slashed grants in George Osborne’s Autumn Statement December 27, 2015 Council tax has soared over the past 19 years, shows new research revealing that the average bill has risen 58 per cent since 1996. As councils get ready to settle their budgets for next year, several are already considering tax hikes following the slashed grants to local authorities announced by chancellor George Osborne in the [...]
How the chancellor can unlock more private capital for infrastructure November 23, 2016 Chancellor Philip Hammond is widely expected to outline a more flexible approach to deficit reduction when he delivers his first Autumn Statement today. Flexibility seems wise, given the scale of uncertainty as the UK prepares to leave the EU. Ministers have identified investment in infrastructure as a means to boost the UK’s competitive standing. In [...]
Be under no illusions: The National Living Wage will cost jobs February 24, 2017 Imagine that you didn’t know how cold weather and turning on the heat affected the temperature of a room. You’d watch the boiler burn more or less gas, and you’d watch the weather get colder and hotter, but if the thermostat and central heating were working properly there’d be no change in the temperature of [...]
TSB moves to snap up £16bn Bradford & Bingley portfolio November 20, 2016 TSB has put an offer on the table for a £16bn mortgage loan portfolio which belonged to Bradford & Bingley. The government has been slowly but surely selling the assets it picked up in the fallout of the financial crisis, which includes parts of Bradford & Bingley's business. Now, the Sunday Times has reported UK [...]
Trading platforms must bet on a stable outcome December 8, 2016 Spreadbetters experienced the most modest of recoveries yesterday, with shares in IG Group gaining nearly six per cent, Plus500 climbing around three per cent and CMC Markets edging up just 1.3 per cent. Investors, given 24-hours to reflect on the previous day’s bloodbath, clearly did not find reason to significantly alter their view of the [...]
Uncertainty not totally to blame for UK’s economic problems, says MPC member November 23, 2016 Uncertainty might be causing some wobbles for businesses, but it gets more blame than it deserves, a member of the Bank of England's monetary policy committee (MPC) will say this morning. Speaking at a conference hosted by JP Morgan Cazenove, Kristin Forbes, external MPC member, is expected to say that, while mentions of uncertainty in the likes of [...]
The UK City watchdog’s so good at fintech it’s going to teach Hong Kong December 7, 2016 The UK's forward thinking City regulator is exporting its fintech expertise, partnering with authorities in Hong Kong to foster innovation in finance. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) to share its knowledge and promote innovation between the two countries. It's the latest example of the UK collaborating with other [...]