Northern Powerhouse: Policy Exchange says devolved cities need geeks overseeing data analytics offices January 15, 2016 An influential think tank wants to require cities with devolved powers to recruit “geeks” to oversee data analytics programmes, as another leading research group says successful devolution will require more than just new infrastructure projects. In a new paper out today, Policy Exchange said that elected mayors should have to set up data analytics offices [...]
EU referendum: UBS chief executive Sergio Ermotti says London has “lost a lot of its attractiveness” but Europe would lose out in Brexit January 14, 2016 New regulations have made the City a less desirable place to do business, UBS group chief executive Sergio Ermotti has said. "London has lost a lot of attractiveness for sure," Ermotti told an audience in Canary Wharf tonight, pointing to the controversial Senior Managers Regime (SMR), which is set to to go into effect in March. “If you add the [...]
Why Labour lost: Internal party documents leaked to the BBC show that voters didn’t trust Labour on the economy and thought Ed Miliband was weaker than David Cameron January 14, 2016 Labour failed to win last year's General Election because voters didn't trust the party with the economy and thought Ed Miliband was a weaker leader than Prime Minister David Cameron, according to internal Labour party documents revealed this afternoon by the BBC. Then-interim Labour leader Harriet Harman commissioned a post-mortem last May, saying the party needed a "forensic, [...]
Labour MP John Mann wants to charge £1000 membership fee to Labour party members who own houses worth more than £1m January 14, 2016 A leading Labour MP is proposing a so-called wealth tax to "save the Labour Party" from financial ruin. John Mann, the MP for Bassetlaw, said in a blog post on his website today that Labour should charge party members with properties valued at over £1m a "Labour wealth tax of £1,000 a year". "It will raise significant money and [...]
EU referendum: BT chairman Mike Rake and Barclays chairman John McFarlane issue warnings over Brexit January 14, 2016 Two of Britain's top businessmen have warned that the City will be worse off if the UK leaves the EU. Mike Rake, chairman of BT Group and WorldPay, and Barclays chairman John McFarlane – who also chairs TheCityUK industry group – told Bloomberg TV today that Brexit would be bad for British business. "There has already [...]
London mayoral election 2016: Conservative mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith vows to give startups retail space in London Underground stations January 14, 2016 Conservative mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith has said that he will use public land to house startup businesses in the capital, vowing to repurpose Transport for London (TfL) Underground stations to provide discounted space to smaller firms. Goldsmith said today that he will parcel off shop space in TfL’s Underground stations and offer it to retail [...]
EU referendum: Alan Johnson says Brexit will cost UK car manufacturers £1.2bn a year despite Toyota commitment to keep building cars in Britain if UK leaves EU January 14, 2016 British car manufacturers could be hit with tariffs worth £1.2bn a year if the UK leaves the EU, a leading Labour MP has warned, just days after Toyota said it would keep making cars in Britain even if voters back Brexit. Alan Johnson, the Labour MP for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle and chair [...]
MPs slam outgoing HMRC boss Lin Homer over excessive phone waiting times and poor customer service January 13, 2016 Top MPs grilled outgoing HM Revenue and Customs chief executive Lin Homer this afternoon over HMRC’s poor customer service for taxpayers. “I have had a mountain of cases where people have spoken to the tax office on the phone thinking that actually someone has taken their case – and they have disappeared into the abyss,” [...]
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) reviewing roads and infrastructure connecting London airports January 13, 2016 The aviation watchdog is launching a new review into road access and other infrastructure surrounding Britain’s airports. A Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesperson confirmed to City A.M. yesterday that the CAA will carry out a review into whether existing infrastructure is providing adequate services for customers. The review, which is expected to take nearly a year, [...]
London mayoral election 2016: Exclusive new poll shows Goldsmith leads Khan by 39 per cent among London businesses January 12, 2016 Conservative mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith is overwhelmingly seen by London firms as being more pro-business than his Labour rival Sadiq Khan, according to a new poll seen exclusively by City A.M. Two-thirds of London businesses think Goldsmith is pro-business, while just 29 per cent say the same of Khan, according to the poll, conducted by ComRes for [...]
