Debate: Given the Tory party’s proposal to ban restaurants from taking a share of staff tips, is regulation necessary? October 2, 2018 Debate: Given the Tory party’s proposal to ban restaurants from taking a share of staff tips, is regulation necessary? YES – Scott Corfe is chief economist at the Social Market Foundation. The rise of the service charge in UK restaurants has led to a great deal of confusion. Often listed as discretionary on bills, many [...]
Theresa May’s vision-free approach is alienating us all October 2, 2018 An opening day Conservative conference speech by former CBI Director-General Digby Jones might not have been expected to diagnose the Prime Minister’s key weakness. But defending Theresa May’s Brexit approach, the former Labour minister unwittingly exposed the reason that the Prime Minister has alienated much of her party: she is a vision-free zone. Riffing off [...]
Theresa May: We’ll prioritise skilled immigration after Brexit October 2, 2018 Theresa May plans to prioritise immigrants’ skills, rather than their country of origin, in a post-Brexit shake-up of the visa system. The Prime Minister will focus on tackling low-skilled immigration and place more value on those with skills desirable to British businesses, following a recommendation from the Migration Advisory Committee (Mac). Read more: 'Frictionless' immigration [...]
City minister calls for ‘frictionless’ immigration rules for financial sector after Brexit October 1, 2018 City firms need "frictionless" access to overseas workers after Brexit, according to a Treasury minister who called immigration a "force for good". Speaking during a debate on the shape of the the UK's future immigration policy, City minister John Glen talked up the importance of the financial sector being able to fill gaps in key [...]
Senior Barclays adviser elected as 691st Lord Mayor of the City October 1, 2018 Senior adviser to Barclays, Peter Estlin, has been elected as the 691st Lord of Mayor of the City of London. Estlin, who will take a sabbatical from his role with the bank, will succeed Charles Bowman on 9 November for a one-year term. The elected head of the City of London Corporation will act as [...]
Philip Hammond says Tories are the ‘party of business’ as he takes the fight to Jeremy Corbyn October 1, 2018 Philip Hammond tried to paint the Conservatives as the "party of business" today as he launched a sustained attack on the Labour Party's plans for the economy. Speaking at the Tory conference in Birmingham, the chancellor urged his party to put on a united front to defeat Jeremy Corbyn – arguing Labour's plans would threaten [...]
Brexit secretary says Chequers plan is not ‘perfect’ as he urges Tories to back the proposal October 1, 2018 Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab today admitted the Prime Minister's EU negotiating plan is not perfect as he appealed to his fellow Tories to back the so-called Cheques proposal. Speaking at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, Raab claimed eurosceptics would have "bitten my arm off" before the 2016 referendum for the deal he and other [...]
The longevity dividend: How to make the most of our ageing society October 1, 2018 It is well known that the UK is ageing. In 1976, only 14 per cent of the population was aged over 65, today it is 18 per cent, and in 2036 it is estimated to be 25 per cent. Over the same period, the median age is expected to rise from 34 to 43. The [...]
Philip Hammond: Tory party ‘has business at its core’ October 1, 2018 Philip Hammond this morning sought to reaffirm the Tories as the “party of business” ahead of his Conservative Party Conference speech later today. He also tried to bolster business confidence about the prospects of the UK negotiating a Brexit deal with the EU, amid rising concerns over the possibility of the UK leaving the bloc [...]
Hammond: Chancellor to step back from apprenticeship levy in conference speech October 1, 2018 The government will back down on its controversial apprenticeship levy today with a raft of reforms and a review into the scheme. Philip Hammond will announce the reforms to introduce greater flexibility for businesses and expand apprenticeship courses in science and other STEM subjects, in his speech at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham today. Read [...]