Pot luck: Councils get £420m to tackle potholes this year October 29, 2018 Chancellor Philip Hammond has promised a further £420m investment this financial year to help local authorities tackle potholes and and keep bridges safe. Hammond also said he would make £150m available for small improvement projects, such as roundabouts. “Every member of parliament will testify that potholes are high on the public’s list of concerns. So as autumn [...]
HMRC to be made preferred creditor in tax avoidance crackdown October 29, 2018 A range of measures designed to crackdown on tax avoidance and evasion with a view to raise £2bn over the next five years have been announced by the government. HMRC will be made a preferred creditor in insolvencies, Chancellor Philip Hammond announced today. The government will end the practice of purchasing services through offshore countries and introduce a [...]
Investment allowance lifted from £200,000 to £1m to boost business October 29, 2018 The investment allowance will be increased from £200,000 to £1m to stimulate business investment, the chancellor Philip Hammond announced today in his budget speech. "I am increasing the annual investment allowance, from £200,000 to £1m for two years," Hammond said. The investment allowance lets a business deduct qualifying capital expenditure from its taxable profits to [...]
Going it alone: Tech giants to be hit by UK digital services tax October 29, 2018 Technology giants operating in the UK will be served with a narrowly-targeted digital services tax, chancellor Philip Hammond announced today. With consultations to occur before the tax goes live in April 2020, the chancellor said the move is to ensure "the UK continues to be the best place in the world to start and scale [...]
Government to ban private finance initiatives for future public sector projects after Carillion collapse October 29, 2018 The government will abolish the use of private finance initiatives (PFI) to fund future projects, chancellor Philip Hammond announced today. The announcement in Hammond's Autumn Budget, the last before Brexit, comes after the collapse of construction giant Carillion put the controversial funding model in the spotlight. "We will honour existing contracts, but the days of the public [...]
New NHS service to include mental health ambulances and a hotline for sufferers October 29, 2018 Chancellor Philip Hammond has reiterated the government’s promise for an extra £20.5bn in funds for the NHS, including a new mental health crisis service, as he committed to end austerity. “We made out choice for this budget four months before it was delivered,” the chancellor said. “Our NHS is the number one priority of the [...]
Military to get £1bn more over next two years to fund cyber and nuclear capability October 29, 2018 The UK’s military is to receive £1bn more over the next two years to help plug funding shortfalls, the chancellor Philip Hammond said in his budget speech today. Hammond told the House of Commons that the money would be used to boost the UK’s cyber capabilities, its anti-submarine warfare capacity and its submarine-borne nuclear deterrent. [...]
DEBATE: Should Hammond keep the Tory promise and increase the higher-rate tax threshold to £50,000? October 29, 2018 Should Philip Hammond keep the Tory promise and increase the higher-rate tax threshold to £50,000? Ben Ramanauskas, researcher at the Taxpayers’ Alliance, says YES. People earning £45,000 (the current threshold) can no longer be considered wealthy, particularly considering the high cost of living in our major cities. There is a housing crisis in the UK, [...]
Chancellor Philip Hammond says the UK will ‘strike out in a new direction’ in the event of a no deal Brexit October 28, 2018 Chancellor Philip Hammond delivers his latest Budget tomorrow, but has warned that he will be forced to take an entirely different approach if the UK and the European Union fail to agree a Brexit deal. Hammond said earlier today he would use fiscal buffers to boost the economy under a no deal scenario and "strike [...]
What to expect from chancellor Philip Hammond’s Budget October 28, 2018 Ahead of tomorrow's Autumn Budget City A.M. looks at the areas that chancellor Philip Hammond is likely to focus on in his last chance to tweak the UK’s fiscal regime before the Brexit deadline in March Roads Hammond is expected to announce almost £30bn for new road projects and repairs which will be partially funded [...]