Osborne gets last minute economic boost: UK service sector growth surges again while Europe hits 11-month low in latest PMI December 3, 2014 The UK’s service sector surged ahead of expectations in November as growth hit an 11-month low in the Eurozone, telling two very different stories of economic activity. The latest Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) came in at 58.6 for November, ahead of the 56.5 expected and 56.2 in October, in another boost for the UK economy [...]
Nigel Farage’s confusion on sex education is just the latest in a series of Ukip policy flip-flops December 3, 2014 Ukip has once again had to clarify party policy after Nigel Farage appeared to disown the position held by his deputy Paul Nuttall that sex education should be scrapped for primary school children. Speaking in an ITV debate with young voters, the Ukip leader said: I have never advocated that policy … I know there [...]
Autumn Statement 2014: George Osborne prepares for battle ahead of crunch announcement December 2, 2014 George Osborne met military personnel yesterday ahead of the Autumn Statement, one of the most important fiscal announcements of his term in office. The chancellor is widely expected to have a crowd-pleasing announcement up his sleeve, following leaks this week about infrastructure spending, flood defences and housebuilding. Possible measures include stamp duty reform or raising [...]
Autumn Statement 2014 quiz: By George! What’s Osborne been up to? December 2, 2014 As the chancellor takes centre stage today to tell us how he plans to move the Treasury’s kitty about in the Autumn Statement, we take a look at some of his best moments over the last few months – but what exactly is he up to? Is it A, B or C? 1) A. [...]
George Osborne announces £1bn boost for small businesses ahead of the Autumn Statement December 2, 2014 George Osborne has announced a lending package worth nearly £1bn for the UK's small and medium-sized businesses ahead of tomorrow's Autumn Statement. The Treasury will give £400m to expand Enterprise Capital Funds, which invests in fast-growing small and medium size enterprises. It will also guarantee up to £500m of new bank lending to these kind [...]
Autumn Statement 2014: Forget a new fiscal rule – George Osborne should beef up the Office for Budget Responsibility to ensure real prudence December 2, 2014 George Osborne has made his name with a commitment to fiscal prudence, backed up by tough cuts to public services. In today’s Autumn Statement, he is expected to reinforce that reputation by announcing a formal target, backed by law, to eliminate the current structural deficit by 2017-18, a year earlier than previously forecast. There are [...]
Boris Johnson welcomes £141m transformation of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park into “Olympicopolis” December 2, 2014 Boris Johnson has welcomed the government's commitment to create a £141m education and culture hub on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The transformation will include two new campuses for University College London (UCL) and University of the Arts, new locations for the Victoria and Albert Museum and Sadler's Wells. It will create 3,000 jobs, 1.5m additional visitors [...]
Autumn Statement 2014: Fun for all the family – interactive Osborne bingo December 2, 2014 As George Osborne prepares to deliver his final Autumn Statement before next year’s general election, Morning Wire is focusing on the important questions – will this be another one for “hard-working families”? Or is it just “ordinary people” he wants to help this year? We’ve put his favourite phrases into our chancellor-o-matic to create Autumn [...]
Merry Biz-mas? Last year’s weirdest business Christmas cards from Warren Buffett, Jamie Dimon and Maurice Lévy December 2, 2014 Tony Blair has already been given a heavy ribbing for his alarmingly wooden Christmas cards, while Nigel Farage has released a cartoon of him in a white van, reversing over his rivals. But they've got nothing on last year's trickle of chief executive Christmas cards, which ranged from the sublime to the downright tasteless. Here [...]
David Cameron gives Vince Cable and Nick Clegg the hard shoulder to take credit for “roads revolution” December 1, 2014 Usually the most exciting thing you see on the side of Britain’s A roads is a trailer selling strawberries for 50p and the odd squashed badger. However, yesterday was a different story as our top politicians were loitering in roadside ditches – all taking credit for a £15bn road-building scheme. Who was part of this [...]