July Budget 2015: Is it too early to get excited about the government’s “northern powerhouse” plans? July 9, 2015 In his Summer Budget announcement, chancellor George Osborne made no apologies for highlighting the point that the Conservatives have boldly done something that previous governments haven’t been able (or possibly willing) to do – addressing the huge gap between the North and South. Making several references to the government’s "northern powerhouse’ plans, the chancellor confirmed [...]
July Budget 2015: Transport for the North promises shorter train journey times and cheaper fares as high speed rail will drive Northern Powerhouse July 9, 2015 Slashed travel times between northern cities will cheer commuters, as new transport body Transport for the North gives a boost to George Osborne’s Northern Powerhouse project. But how exactly will the new and improved transport system work? And how much time will you save? This handy map and the charts below show how much shorter [...]
July Budget 2015 at a glance: From a new tax-free dividend allowance to the raid on buy-to-let landlords and new inheritance tax rules July 8, 2015 The chancellor outlined £12bn of welfare cuts, introduced new inheritance tax rules & vowed to crack down on tax avoidance. UK ECONOMIC OUTLOOK ● The UK is expected to be the fastest-growing advanced economy again this year. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) expects the economy to grow by 2.4 per cent in [...]
July Budget 2015: Every key policy announced today July 8, 2015 George Osborne revealed the first Budget of the government, including policy changes on everything from pensions and inheritance tax to bank levies and the Northern Powerhouse. Here we round up all the essential points from the Red Box. 1. A surplus will be reached by 2019 Osborne pledged to reduce the deficit by [...]
July Budget 2015: Northern Powerhouse boost as George Osborne promises “seamless Oyster-style” ticket system for travel across region July 8, 2015 Chancellor George Osborne promised to put the “power into the Northern Powerhouse” as he presented his Summer Budget today, presenting a promise that is sure to cheer commuters. Train travel in the north of England is about to get a “seamless Oyster-style” ticketing system across the region (and yes, pun-happy tweeters have already coined the [...]
Budget for a greater Britain: What the City needs from the chancellor July 7, 2015 Amid the deluge of news about EU reform and the Greek debt crisis, you could be forgiven for forgetting there’s a Budget today. But that would be to overlook an opportunity for the City. This is George Osborne’s first Budget since the Conservatives were elected to govern alone and we’ll get a clear sense of [...]
From Tesco and the Northern Powerhouse to self-control and politeness: Here’s what got us talking this week June 26, 2015 There was a shocking attack in France. In Brussels, deadlines came and went and came (again). And somewhere in social media land, Taylor Swift became the Queen of everything, including Apple. Here's what got us talking this week 1) When it comes to happiness, south London is best Yup, if you're among the [...]
Northern powerhouse project: Finance, science, and tech industries creating two-speed housing market, could boost north June 24, 2015 A big boost for the northern powerhouse project? Areas that have embraced the science, technology and finance industries have enjoyed disproportionately high house price growth, according to research from Savills. The fillip given to areas with a large number of companies in key industries suggests encouraging growth in such industries in the north could lead [...]
Britain’s still great: Opportunities abound from the Northern Powerhouse to infrastructure revamp June 18, 2015 EUROPE REFERENDUM To the relief of many, the UK election turned out to be a simple affair. But while we avoided protracted wrangling over the make-up of the government, the key risk facing the UK now is the referendum on European Union membership. It is due to be held before 2017 – but some business [...]
Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin: HS2 fight “has been won” – work to start in next two years June 2, 2015 The £50bn battle over HS2 has been won and work on the project will begin in two years, according to transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin. During a speech in Leeds, McLoughlin said the controversial high speed trainline will be built in full, as the government had received a “massive vote of confidence” when it won the [...]