Why the devil is always in the detail March 24, 2010 YOU must hand it to Alistair Darling: to have to unveil a budget deficit of 11.8 per cent of GDP, roughly the same as Greece’s, would have destroyed a lesser politician. The fact that he was able to portray such an abysmal outcome as a triumph is the final proof that contemporary Britain is now [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING June 27, 2010 THE SUNDAYS The Sunday Telegraph PRIVATE SECTOR WARNS ON PUBLIC SECTOR CUTS Leading companies have warned they will not be able to pick up the slack from the wide-scale job losses expected in the public sector. The warning raises concerns over a key part of the Chancellor’s spending cuts, which are based on the assumption [...]
Barratt in housing market boost January 14, 2010 HOUSEBUILDER Barratt Developments today fuelled hopes of recovery in the sector with rising volumes and prices bringing about an improvement in operating margins. The FTSE 250 group completed 5028 homes in the six months to 31 December and says it on track to hit its full-year targets of 12,000 completions. The average price of its [...]
House prices to rise in 2010 December 21, 2009 HOUSE prices will continue to creep up in the New Year but end next year just one to two per cent higher than where they are now, according to new research published today. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) predicts that the housing market will revive, with transactions rising to a monthly average of [...]
AFTER FINANCE AND FILMS, CITY VETERAN IS STILL FULL OF BEANS June 24, 2010 WILL that Stefan Allesch-Taylor ever stop adding to his already thickly-strung bow? A City veteran of some stature (quite literally: Allesch-Taylor stands a formidable 6’10” tall), he is best known as the founder of boutique Mayfair-based investment bank Fairfax. In addition to that, his CV lists top positions at any number of firms, including Clearbrook [...]
Election and stock shortage to keep housing sales static December 13, 2009 HOUSE asking prices are likely to remain static in 2010 as post-election uncertainty and continued shortage of stock creates a challenging environment for the housing market, property website Rightmove will say today, as it reveals that asking prices fell for a second consecutive month in December. Rightmove expects December’s 2.2 per cent drop in prices [...]
Shared ownership suits City workers, not just teachers January 28, 2010 LONDON house prices might have risen some 5 per cent since last January but as any first-time buyer will tell you, it is tougher than ever to get on the property ladder. With mortgage approvals still below their long-term average and deposits often as high as 40 per cent, even young professionals earning a decent [...]
BANK CHIEF ‘OGRE’ GETS AN IMAGE OVERHAUL July 20, 2010 FAIRFAX chief executive Stefan Allesch-Taylor is on the blower following a story in this column yesterday about the boutique bank scouting around for a new investor – a move which could potentially usurp the big man’s family trust as the firm’s largest shareholder. Not that Allesch-Taylor’s particular beef is with the story itself, mind. He’s [...]
BANK CHIEF ‘OGRE’ GETS AN IMAGE OVERHAUL July 20, 2010 FAIRFAX chief executive Stefan Allesch-Taylor is on the blower following a story in this column yesterday about the boutique bank scouting around for a new investor – a move which could potentially usurp the big man’s family trust as the firm’s largest shareholder. Not that Allesch-Taylor’s particular beef is with the story itself, mind. He’s [...]
Tories to axe house packs November 23, 2009 THE TORIES have pledged to scrap home information packs (HIPS) within weeks, if they are elected. Shadow housing minister Grant Shapps said yesterday it would be his first move, as the packs are stalling housing market recovery. Estate agents say sellers are put off by the £300 to £400 cost. And with the current shortage [...]