UK house prices: Stamp duty changes should be linked to carbon emissions – Think tank PolicyExchange March 2, 2016 A leading think tank has called for homebuyers who choose properties that perform poorly on energy efficiency to pay more stamp duty. Under the proposal by London-based Policy Exchange, a £220,000 house with a poor energy efficiency rating would see stamp duty rise 30 per cent from £1,900 to £2,470. However, those buying an energy efficient home of the same value [...]
EU referendum: Former Conservative chancellor Norman Lamont backs Brexit arguing EU needs an agreement as much as UK does March 2, 2016 Former Conservative chancellor Norman Lamont has put his two cents into the EU referendum debate, backing Brexit and labelling the impending EU referendum a "once-in-a-generation opportunity". The Conservative peer – coincidentally Prime Minister David Cameron's old boss – said Britain must take control of immigration and that Downing Street's warnings about the alternatives to membership [...]
Super Tuesday 2016 results: US Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton move closer to the White House in Presidential Election primaries March 2, 2016 Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump have moved closer to the White House after securing big wins on Super Tuesday. With 12 states and one territory voting, both Clinton and Trump won most of the states on the biggest day of the race towards collecting their parties nomination. Bookmaker Ladbrokes has cut the odds [...]
UK house prices: Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) says government failure to confront Nimbys is fuelling the housing crisis March 2, 2016 A leading free-market think tank has accused the government of yielding to self-interested local residents at the expense of pressing ahead with major housebuilding projects. In a new report out today, the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) argues that the government’s “failure to tackle the housing crisis is due to its unwillingness to confront the [...]
EU referendum: More than 30 City figures make final effort to stop City of London Corporation from endorsing the UK staying in the EU March 2, 2016 Dozens of City figures have made an eleventh-hour attempt to stop the City of London Corporation from campaigning for Britain to remain in the European Union. In a letter seen by City A.M., more than 30 Square Mile grandees, including former chancellor Lord Lamont, CMC Markets founder Peter Cruddas and Risk Capital Partners chairman Luke [...]
EU referendum: London mayor Boris Johnson’s economic adviser Gerard Lyons backs Brexit as CBI president Paul Drechsler praises the EU Single Market March 2, 2016 London can still be “Europe’s world city” even if Britain leaves the European Union, mayor of London Boris Johnson has argued in a major new report from City Hall. “London: The Global Powerhouse”, was first published yesterday and was written by the mayor’s economic adviser, Gerard Lyons, among others. In the report, Lyons wrote that [...]
EU referendum: Swiss- or Canadian-style trade deal not as beneficial as EU membership, government report will caution March 2, 2016 The alternatives to EU membership, such as a Swiss-style trading structure, are more damaging to Britain than staying in the union, a government report due to be released this morning will warn. However, critics have been quick to slam the analysis, highlighting that Britain would be drawing itself up a bespoke deal should it leave, [...]
UK income tax: Chancellor George Osborne says lowering the top rate of tax from 50p to 45p raised an extra £8bn for the Treasury in one year March 1, 2016 Cutting the top rate of income tax has raised billions of pounds in extra revenues for the Treasury, chancellor George Osborne said today. Speaking in the House of Commons earlier today, Osborne said that lowering the top rate from 50p to 45p raised an additional £8bn in its first year. Osborne said the new revenue figures "completely" [...]
Freedom of Information act should apply to private firms carrying out public sector work valued at £5m or more, report suggests March 1, 2016 Private companies carrying out public sector work should come under greater scrutiny, after a new report has said. The independent commission on FoI has today suggested that "information concerning the performance or delivery of public services” through contracts worth £5m or more be brought under the act. But its report, published today, acknowledged that making private companies responsible for [...]
London mayoral election 2016: Labour candidate Sadiq Khan wants to crack down on Uber drivers to “level the playing field” March 1, 2016 Labour London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan has hinted that he might crack down on Uber if he is elected in May. During an interview on London radio station LBC, Khan noted there had been a spike in the number of private hire vehicles, including Uber, at the cost of the number of black cabs on the streets. [...]