Would raising the minimum wage really attract too many immigrants, as Nigel Farage suggests? April 17, 2015 The arguments against raising the minimum wage are many and varied – but is Ukip leader Nigel Farage's assertion that an increase might attract Romanian immigrants fair? While businesses argue hiking the minimum wage could raise the unemployment rate and lead to more illegal labour, today Farage suggested it would cause "even more people [to] [...]
General Election 2015: More people watched last night’s Emmerdale than the BBC debate April 17, 2015 Was it the lack of star quality in the form of Prime Minister David Cameron or the lure of the Dingles? We're not sure but either way last night's leaders' debate got a pummelling in the ratings. BBC1's Election Debate – billed as the challengers' contest with no Cameron and no Nick Clegg – was [...]
General Election 2015: Miliband unpaid internship ban previously supported by PwC, KPMG and Axa April 17, 2015 Ed Miliband will promise to ban unpaid internships if he becomes the next prime minister. In a bid to woo young voters in a speech today, the Labour leader will say companies will be banned from offering unpaid work experience for more than four weeks under a Labour government. Miliband will say lengthy unpaid internships [...]
BBC debate: The leaders’ debate had a surpise winner… according to social media April 17, 2015 Twitter exploded during the BBC challengers’ debate (Source: Twitter) The five party leaders battled it out yesterday evening in a hotly contested debate designed to rouse support ahead of the General Election – now just 19 days away. Labour leader Ed Miliband emerged triumphant from the debate according to the polling data immediately after, with SNP [...]
General Election 2015: Alliance Trust CEO Katherine Garrett-Cox wants a sustainable economy and flexible working April 16, 2015 ELECTION COUNTDOWN: 20 DAYS TO GO Every day until the final week of the election campaign, we ask a business leader to say what policies would entice them to vote for a particular party. KATHERINE GARRETT-COX: CEO, ALLIANCE TRUST ■ You commit to creating a healthy, sustainable economy which is so very [...]
Unite the Union gave £1m to Labour at start of General Election campaign April 16, 2015 Labour raked in over £1m in donations during the first week of the official General Election campaign, double the amount the Conservatives raised during that same period. The figures, revealed by the Electoral Commission, who record donations over £7,500, show that almost all that money came from a £1,005,000 contribution from Unite the Union. Another [...]
General Election 2015: Ed Miliband comes out smiling in opposition leaders’ big BBC TV debate April 16, 2015 It was a big night for Ed Miliband. Going into a debate of the opposition party leaders, he had to prove that he was the Prime Minister in waiting at the same time as taking friendly fire from other left-wing parties, and anti-Westminster shots from Nigel Farage. Agreeing to debate was definitely a risk for [...]
BBC TV debate: The good, the bad and the soundbites from the opposition leaders April 16, 2015 ED MILIBAND: LABOUR The best: “I’ve fought Tories all my life Nicola” he told Sturgeon, before referencing 1979, when the SNP brought down a Labour government to bring in Margaret Thatcher. It stopped Sturgeon pitching herself as the anti-Conservative leader. The worst: Miliband failed to give a straight answer on what would happen [...]
UK house prices at record high as growth slows amid General Election uncertainty April 16, 2015 The average price of a property across England and Wales was at a new record last month, despite March seeing the smallest annual change in house prices since November 2013. A house now costs on average of £275,123. This is a 5.6 per cent annual rise, equating to £14,620. However, in London and the south [...]
Britain’s anti-immigration arms race could make the housing crisis worse April 16, 2015 With the polls still tight, the battle between the two main political parties over who has the strongest policy on controlling immigration is reaching its peak. Yet the contest to be crowned toughest on immigration threatens to jeopardise efforts to address one of the other big issues of the election campaign – the chronic shortage [...]