Sex workers are the forgotten victims of debanking September 10, 2024 Banks are systematically discriminating against sex workers and putting them at risk of doxxing, financial exploitation and violence, says Jessica Van Meir A new Financial Conduct Authority report has slipped out quietly, addressing concerns around debanking, and containing a pretty revolutionary admission. The City watchdog says banks are systematically denying or terminating accounts to adult entertainment businesses, [...]
Right to Buy isn’t to blame for depleted social housing stock September 10, 2024 Right to Buy created a generation of homeowners and enabled mass transfer of capital wealth from the state to the people. No wonder Labour want to abolish it, says Emma Revell Imagine you could introduce a policy which could create more than 2m new homeowners over the next 40 years. Would you do it? Or [...]
Labour’s upcoming tax rises – and what to do about them September 10, 2024 Here’s how wealth creators in the UK can navigate the upcoming tax changes, write Ollie Saiman and Katherine Waller As we approach the new government’s first budget it seems almost impossible to avoid the widespread speculation about what Halloween tricks or treats are going to jump out of the Chancellor’s red box on 30 October. Given the [...]
No Labour MP wants to cut winter fuel payments, but our commitment to pensioners is steadfast September 9, 2024 Tomorrow’s vote on winter fuel payments will be tough, but making and explaining hard choices is what Labour was elected to do, says Dan Tomlinson Tomorrow I will be voting for something which no Labour MP came into politics to vote for: means testing the winter fuel payment. That I and hundreds of my colleagues [...]
Labour smashes the “don’t mess with pensioners” rule September 9, 2024 Nothing in politics is more painful than the removal of a benefit to which the recipients have become accustomed. Successive Chancellors and Prime Ministers have discovered this, sometimes to their embarrassment and sometimes to their very great cost. Related to this first rule, comes another; don’t mess with pensioners. In fact, ‘not messing’ with them [...]
The Notebook: Dear founders, you can be picky about your investors too September 9, 2024 Where the City’s movers and shakers have their say. Today, Rupa Popat, founder and managing partner at Araya Ventures, takes the notebook pen, with a few lessons on what makes a good investor Where did all the value go? We need to pay attention to the relationships between founders and investors – and realise that [...]
Rule changes will trigger a non-dom gotterdammerung September 9, 2024 Inheritance tax for non-doms poses a real risk of capital flight that could drive away jobs and risk public spending commitments, says Leslie MacLeod-Miller The UK is on the brink of economic self-sabotage. Proposed changes to the non-domicile (non-dom) tax regime could trigger a mass exodus of investors, taking jobs and tax revenue with them. [...]
Financial services must be at the heart of the UK-India relationship September 9, 2024 The City of London is a partner of the world’s growth economies and in supporting India’s ambitions we help British businesses too, says Chris Hayward In one of his first international trips the Foreign Secretary David Lammy visited India where he re-emphasised the significance of the UK-India relationship and made clear that the free trade [...]
Who’d be ambassador to President Trump? September 9, 2024 Peter Mandelson and David Miliband are rumoured to be in the frame for British ambassador to Washington, but only if Kamala Harris wins. That’s a mistake. A Trump victory would demand a diplomatic heavyweight, says Eliot Wilson By the beginning of next year, Dame Karen Pierce will have served as British ambassador to the United [...]
Ban Russian gas and buy American September 7, 2024 Russian liquefied natural gas continues to be shipped to Europe even though we have a readily available source from our ally across the Atlantic. For Europe’s energy security and to ensure the survival of Ukraine, it’s time to divest from Russian LNG, says Daniel Dalton Keir Starmer has promised “an improved and ambitious relationship” with [...]