Why wealth taxes always fail October 29, 2024 Almost every country that has tried imposing wealth taxes has later abolished them, with good reason says John O’Connell Rachel Reeves’ problem tomorrow is a simple one to describe, if not a simple one to solve. How does she raise the revenue needed to fund the spending binges of her colleagues, without raising taxes on [...]
On housing, the government’s numbers just don’t add up October 29, 2024 Developers can only build at the rate they can sell, and this is intrinsically linked to mortgage financing. Long-term, fixed-rate mortgages above the 4.5 times income threshold can be part of the solution, says Arjan Verbeek The United Kingdom’s housing market is at a critical juncture. The government has pledged to deliver 300,000 new homes [...]
This will-we, won’t-we budget is causing economic harm October 29, 2024 Watching the will-we, won’t-we budget commentary unfold over the past few months has been painful and has caused significant uncertainty across the market. Not to mention that delaying the budget to October following the July election was a misstep, it has resulted in drawn-out public scrutiny of the multitude of possible tax changes on the [...]
Financial exclusion is a barrier to sustainable growth October 28, 2024 Britain has a two-track financial system, with world-beating services for some and a poverty premium for others, says Charles Randell With a week to go until the Budget, what measures does the Financial Inclusion Commission – a cross-party group of financial experts from business, politics and the charity sector – advise the Chancellor to take [...]
Arm the unemployed with digital skills to get Britain back to work October 28, 2024 Any plan to boost growth and prosperity has to start with turning round sick-note Britain and getting people back to work, says Matt Ashley On the 13 June, three weeks after Rishi Sunak made his surprise call for a July General Election, Labour unveiled a manifesto for wealth creation and economic growth. Sir Keir promised [...]
The Notebook: Britain’s beauty industry is defying the odds. Here’s why October 28, 2024 The comeback of Britain's beauty industry is a national triumph. Let's celebrate it, writes British Beauty Council CEO Millie Kendall.
Labour’s pro-business boasts ring hollow October 28, 2024 Rachel Reeves once vowed that if Labour won they “would be the most pro-business government this country has ever seen”. With just two days to go until the Budget, that pre-election pledge appears to be in the gutter. Reassuring the business community was an essential part of Labour’s pitch for power, but almost everything they’ve [...]
Back to the 80s: Why we need to start celebrating business October 28, 2024 When Bernard Fairman founded Foresight Group, Britain had a favourable tax and regulatory environment and a culture that encouraged entrepreneurialism – and the economy boomed as a result Growing the economy is the “first mission” of the new government, with much of what Sir Keir Starmer wants to do over the next decade being reliant [...]
I’ve had an incredible year as Lord Mayor – here’s to the next 695 October 28, 2024 Next week the 696th Lord Mayor of London takes office followed by the Lord Mayor’s Show. As I reflect on the past year in this, my last mayoral column, I hear the American philosopher, William James: “It takes an endless amount of history to make even a little tradition”. I can tell you it takes [...]
If money’s tight, why waste it on futile GB Energy? October 28, 2024 The fiscal pain of this budget will be worse because of needless GB energy, writes Conservative Environment Network director Sam Hall.