Shadow Chancellor declines to put cost on massive renationalisation plans October 28, 2018 John McDonnell has refused to put a cost on Labour’s renationalisation plans, laughing off estimates taxpayers would pay nearly £200bn. Speaking to Andrew Marr, the shadow chancellor said a Labour government would give shareholders whatever parliament decided. However, he said the government would pay close to the value of companies like Royal Mail to take [...]
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 Morning Wire 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 [...]
Hammond: No-deal Brexit could scupper the end of austerity October 28, 2018 Philip Hammond has warned that austerity will only end if the government can negotiate a Brexit deal with the European Union. The chancellor said plans to increase public spending may be dropped if Britain leaves with no deal. He said that Office for Budget Responsibility projections, which the budget is based on, assume Britain will [...]
DEBATE: With less than six months to go until Brexit, does this Budget actually matter? October 26, 2018 With less than six months to go until Brexit, does this Budget actually matter? Rhiannon Kinghall Were is head of tax policy at Macfarlanes. Getting this year’s Budget right matters, both politically and economically. It is taking place in a highly charged political environment – even if it appears literate on paper, this is not [...]
The carbon tax cost my company millions – and I’m calling on the chancellor to raise it on Monday October 26, 2018 Normally in the week before a Budget, you would expect businesses like mine to be making last-minute pitches to the chancellor for less regulation and a cut in taxes. Yet here I am about to make a case in favour of the carbon tax – a tax which in the past cost my company millions [...]
Instead of obsessing over faulty stats, let’s celebrate the gender progress we’ve made October 26, 2018 More good news for women: according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the gender pay gap in the UK is now at its lowest on record. Coming in at 8.6 per cent for full-time workers in 2018, the average gap in hourly earnings between men and women is down from 9.1 per cent last [...]
After Jamal Khashoggi’s death we need to re-assess diplomatic immunity October 26, 2018 In 1961 the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations was adopted by the United Nations Conference on Diplomatic Intercourse and Immunities. It was followed in 1963 by the Vienna Convention on Consular relations, These treaties have, as of this month, been ratified by 192 and 179 states respectively. In summary, these treaties create an environment of [...]
MPs call for new tribunal system to help SMEs take on big banks October 26, 2018 A row is brewing over how to prevent another RBS-style asset stripping scandal after MPs backed a new tribunal system to help small businesses take on banks. The Treasury Select Committee is throwing its weight behind establishing a special system for settling disputes involving small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and large banks. The plan goes [...]
Budget windfall to tackle rise of antisemitism October 26, 2018 Charities combating antisemitism are set to receive £1.7million in Monday's Budget in a bid to tackle a rise in the hate crime. Chancellor Philip Hammond is expected to announce the pot of money to fund visits to Nazi concentration camps for students, as well as additional school projects such as first hand testimonies from Holocaust [...]