Everything you need to know about non-doms: Who are they, what tax do they pay, why does Labour want to ban them April 8, 2015 Ed Miliband appears to be making the political weather today with his pledge to abolish non-domiciled tax status. However, Ed Balls' warning back in January that abolishing the non-dom status could actually cost Britain money has come back to haunt Labour spinners. Here are the basics of everything you need to know about non-doms and [...]
General Election 2015: Tory campaign wins out with voters April 8, 2015 Despite the relentless stream of negative ads, posters and dodgy stats the voters appear to be more receptive to the major parties' campaigns than are the pundits. As we lurch through the second week of the campaign, a new YouGov poll heralds good news for the Tories' election guru Lynton Crosby. The Conservative Party's campaign [...]
Labour divided: Ed Balls says Miliband’s pledge to end non-dom status will “cost Britain money” April 8, 2015 Ed Miliband's big vow to end non-dom tax status is in danger of being overshadowed by his shadow chancellor's vocal opposition to the policy – after footage emerged of him saying abolishing the scheme will "probably end up costing Britain money". Miliband will pledge to scrap the non-dom status, held by around 155,000 people, in [...]
General Election 2015: SNP could be eyeing a second Scottish independence referendum as early as 2016 April 8, 2015 As the tension and torture of last year’s Scottish independence referendum fade away, the resurgent SNP wants to go again – perhaps as early as next year. In a TV debate between the four Scottish party leaders, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said that although the SNP candidates standing for election in Westminster in May would [...]
Labour’s non-dom tax grab: Ed Miliband vows to end Britain’s status as “offshore tax haven” April 8, 2015 Ed Miliband will pledge to end non-dom tax status in speech in Warwickshire later today. The Labour leader will blast non-dom arrangements for making Britain an "offshore tax haven." Around of 115,000 people would be affected by Labour's policy. Non-domicile status is granted to those who are British residents who pay tax on their UK [...]
General Election 2015: Tories get 31 more business leaders on side April 7, 2015 A further 31 business leaders have added their names to a letter supporting the Conservatives’ approach to the economy. The new additions bring the total number of signatories up to 150, after the letter was launched last week by over 100 major business figures. Despite the growth in public support for business-friendly policy platforms, the [...]
Panmure Gordon: Tight General Election race is good for investors April 7, 2015 A close General Election leading to another coalition government is good for stock market investors, economists at Panmure Gordon said yesterday, defying the conventional wisdom that this would bring bad uncertainty. In a boost to the Liberal Democrats, the analysis argues that both Labour and the Conservatives have policies which would damage the economy, while another [...]
General Election 2015: A Labour-SNP alliance could be a fillip for markets – but not for long April 7, 2015 Of all the possible outcomes of the General Election, one scenario in particular has concerned segments of the business and investor communities. A minority Labour government supported by SNP MPs is seen by some investment commentators as a challenging combination. Although Labour has ruled out a formal coalition, there may still be the possibility of [...]
Mutuals will now be able to issue shares – transforming competition in finance April 7, 2015 The Mutuals’ Deferred Shares Bill received Royal Assent last month. The Act will give mutual businesses a new option to raise tier one capital in the form of deferred shares. This is good news for leading mutuals like LV=, but what will this mean in practice and does it change the competitiveness of mutuals in [...]
General Election 2015: As Tony Blair says he’s “100 per cent” behind Ed Miliband, will this prove positive for Labour? April 7, 2015 Chris Rumfitt, founder and chief executive of Corporate Reputation Consulting, says Yes Tony Blair remains the last politician to really connect with the British people. Indeed, he’s the only man in the last 20 years to win an election outright. So his “100 per cent backing” for Ed Miliband has got to help the Labour [...]