Theresa May won’t rule out a transitional deal with the EU because she’s worried about a “cliff edge” November 21, 2016 Downing Street is refusing to rule out a transitional deal between the UK and the EU following Brexit, after Theresa May warned of a "cliff edge" on the day the UK leaves the EU. Speaking at the CBI annual conference today, May said talks with the EU "cannot be done quickly, or without give and [...]
Brace yourselves: Donald Trump could be coming to the UK next year November 21, 2016 Donald Trump could make a state visit to the UK as soon as next year, Downing Street has confirmed. Trump has already invited Prime Minister Theresa May to visit the US, and now officials have confirmed that plans are being drawn up for a reciprocal invite. A spokeswoman for Theresa May said today a formal [...]
Theresa May welcomes capitalism 2.0 November 21, 2016 Theresa May has today urged businesses to take a new approach to capitalism, or risk pushing away the public at large. Speaking at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) conference, the Prime Minister called for "embracing a new approach ensure everybody in the benefits of economic growth" May noted that, although her and her party would [...]
May drops mandatory workers on boards plan, as she recruits private equity grandee Buffini for long-term capital review November 21, 2016 Theresa May has confirmed that the government will not force firms to put workers on boards, as she announced that former private equity grandee Sir Damon Buffini has been recruited to a review on barriers to long-term investment. Ministers have been hinting that plans to put workers on boards were being watered down, and today May told an audience that the [...]
Now Stephen Crabb has joined the backlash against the “triple lock” on state pensions November 21, 2016 Former work and pensions secretary Stephen Crabb has joined the growing calls for the government to drop its policy to uprate state pension payments. Under plans first introduced under the Tory Lib Dem coalition, the government currently links payments to average earnings, the consumer price index or 2.5 per cent, with payments increasing by whichever [...]
Theresa May vows UK will offer lowest corporation tax in the G20 November 21, 2016 Prime Minister Theresa May will today commit her government to charging the lowest rate of corporation tax in any of the world's 20 largest economies. The government has already promised to commit the charge from 20 per cent to 17 per cent by 2020, but will go further in her speech at the CBI later [...]
We asked economists what they want from Philip Hammond’s first Autumn Statement November 21, 2016 During the rapid post-Brexit shuffle at the top of UK politics many a word was spoken in haste, and perhaps none more so than confident predictions that Philip Hammond would put paid to George Osborne’s austerity politics with a bold return to Keynesian government investment. That might have been a bit rash, but it demonstrates [...]
McDonnell’s profligacy will clash with reality November 21, 2016 Philip Hammond will treat us all to his first fiscal event on Wednesday, as he stands up to deliver a hotly anticipated Autumn Statement. Actually, that may be overdoing it. Let's just call it anticipated. After all, Hammond is no George Osborne. The latter was famed for using such set-piece occasions as an exercise in power-building, [...]
Lady Barbara Judge: More education is needed for trustees to fix pension black holes November 21, 2016 Pension black holes have a history of weighing heavily on big corporations as amply illustrated by former retail darling BHS. The retailer may have disappeared from the high street but its unwieldy £570m pension deficit has yet to be resolved. While the public glare over the BHS fiasco focused on the dealings of Sir Phillip [...]
The UK’s high earners have seen some of the steepest tax increases over the last 20 years November 21, 2016 High earners in the UK have faced some of the world's steepest increases in income taxes over 20 years, according to new figures. Sums from accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young show the average rate paid by those earning more than $1m (£810,000) has climbed four per cent since 1996 to 43 per cent. By contrast, the [...]