George Osborne to mandate government budget surplus in the “good times” – but when was the last budget surplus? June 10, 2015 George Osborne will say tonight that he intends to force future governments to run a budget surplus in order to "prepare for an uncertain future". In a major speech in Canada tonight, the chancellor will announce that he will enshrine in law the need for future governments to run an overall budget [...]
HSBC lays down the gauntlet to George Osborne on bank levy as it mulls exit from UK June 9, 2015 HSBC moved a step closer to leaving the UK yesterday, piling pressure on chancellor George Osborne to take action to persuade the bank to stay. Chief executive Stuart Gulliver set out details of HSBC’s review of the location of its headquarters, looking at 11 different criteria, including taxes, the government’s attitude to finance, and [...]
Mansion House speech: George Osborne says budget surplus will be a legal mandate June 9, 2015 Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne will use a major speech in the City tonight to introduce a new law requiring future governments to run an overall budget surplus. “The result of this recent British election, and the comprehensive rejection of those who argued for more borrowing and more spending, gives our nation the [...]
George Osborne should prioritise taxpayer value over a rapid RBS privatisation June 9, 2015 Almost seven years on from the £46bn taxpayer bailout of RBS, it may seem perverse to ask “why the rush?” when it comes to selling our 79 per cent stake in the still-ailing bank. But this is precisely the question that must be posed if, as anticipated, George Osborne sets out at the Mansion House [...]
As Zac Goldsmith plans to run for London mayor, can the Conservatives win again in a Labour city? June 9, 2015 Tom Mludzinski, head of political polling at ComRes, says Yes Whoever is the next Tory candidate faces an Everest-sized task. But Everest has been conquered, and so can London. Boris Johnson is a special politician and winning twice in London as a Conservative is a big achievement. His success was, of course, partly down to [...]
Here’s how Boris wants to stop cyclists dying on the roads June 9, 2015 Boris Johnson has pledged to cut London’s serious road casualties by 50 per cent by 2020. Despite the latest figures showing numbers of people killed or seriously injured was down to its lowest levels on record (meeting the Mayor’s previous target six years early) Johnson is keen to push the numbers down further. Read more: How [...]
Boris Johnson says ministers should be allowed to campaign to leave the EU June 9, 2015 Boris Johnson has said that ministers should be allowed to campaign freely in the upcoming EU referendum. Government ministers should have free reign to campaign on their conscience, he said, adding it would be "safer and more harmonious" for David Cameron to let them do so. As MPs debated in the House of Commons over [...]
WPP shareholders revolt against Sir Martin Sorrell’s £43m pay (but not as many as last year) June 9, 2015 More than a fifth of WPP shareholders have refused to back Sir Martin Sorrell's £43m pay package – but that is less than this time last year. At today's AGM 19.5 per cent of investors in the marketing and advertising giant voted against Sorrell's pay, while 2.7 per cent absented. While that means [...]
Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith announces bid to run for London mayor June 9, 2015 Zac Goldsmith has joined the race to become the next London mayor, boosting Conservative hopes of holding onto power at City Hall. He becomes the fifth Tory in the race to succeed Boris Johnson as London mayor, after the Johnson won a seat in Parliament in last month's General Election. The young Tory MP has [...]
London mayor election 2016: Who will be the next Boris Johnson? Runners, riders and potential candidates June 9, 2015 The General Election is out of the way, but that means the race is now on for City Hall in 2016 – and we can expect a slew of candidates to start the firing gun on their campaigns. Now shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna has thrown in the towel in the race to become leader [...]