General Election 2015: How will the FTSE 100 be affected by political uncertainty as we head to the polls? April 8, 2015 Elections are times of great volatility for the markets, and 2015's edition looks like it could hold a roller-coaster 60 days in store. Looking back to 1992 and 2010 – the two most close and dramatic elections in recent years – it's clear that markets don't like the uncertainty and respond with plenty of jitters [...]
Non-doms pay £6bn in income tax and Labour’s ban could damage the UK’s ability to attract entrepreneurs April 8, 2015 As Labour looks to hit non-doms in one of the few substantive policy announcements of the campaign so far, some experts are warning Labour not to kill the goose that lays the golden egg. According to international law firm Pinsent Masons, non-doms paid a whopping £6.18bn in income tax alone in 2012-13 despite the actual [...]
General Election 2015: Tory campaign wins out with voters April 8, 2015 Despite the relentless stream of negative ads, posters and dodgy stats the voters appear to be more receptive to the major parties' campaigns than are the pundits. As we lurch through the second week of the campaign, a new YouGov poll heralds good news for the Tories' election guru Lynton Crosby. The Conservative Party's campaign [...]
Labour divided: Ed Balls says Miliband’s pledge to end non-dom status will “cost Britain money” April 8, 2015 Ed Miliband's big vow to end non-dom tax status is in danger of being overshadowed by his shadow chancellor's vocal opposition to the policy – after footage emerged of him saying abolishing the scheme will "probably end up costing Britain money". Miliband will pledge to scrap the non-dom status, held by around 155,000 people, in [...]
General Election 2015: SNP could be eyeing a second Scottish independence referendum as early as 2016 April 8, 2015 As the tension and torture of last year’s Scottish independence referendum fade away, the resurgent SNP wants to go again – perhaps as early as next year. In a TV debate between the four Scottish party leaders, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said that although the SNP candidates standing for election in Westminster in May would [...]
Labour’s non-dom tax grab: Ed Miliband vows to end Britain’s status as “offshore tax haven” April 8, 2015 Ed Miliband will pledge to end non-dom tax status in speech in Warwickshire later today. The Labour leader will blast non-dom arrangements for making Britain an "offshore tax haven." Around of 115,000 people would be affected by Labour's policy. Non-domicile status is granted to those who are British residents who pay tax on their UK [...]
General Election 2015: Tories get 31 more business leaders on side April 7, 2015 A further 31 business leaders have added their names to a letter supporting the Conservatives’ approach to the economy. The new additions bring the total number of signatories up to 150, after the letter was launched last week by over 100 major business figures. Despite the growth in public support for business-friendly policy platforms, the [...]
2016 US Election: Libertarian Rand Paul starts Presidential run April 7, 2015 Republican senator Rand Paul yesterday officially announced he is running for the White House in 2016, with a pledge to end political dysfunction in Washington. “I am running for President to return our country to the principles of liberty and limited government,” he said on www.randpaul.com. Yesterday’s announcement makes Paul the second major Republican figure [...]
General Election 2015: Gangsta Ed Miliband Vine takes social media by storm April 7, 2015 Labour leader Ed Miliband is making waves on social media with a six second Vine video that has been looped more 660,000 times. Unfortunately for Ed the video is not of his pledge to save the NHS or stop the Tories from taking the country back to the 1930s. Instead, the video is a mashup, [...]
General Elections 2015: Bookies’ odds of two elections in one year just shortened to 4/1 April 7, 2015 As things hot up on the campaign trail, it's looking increasingly likely the result is going to be decidedly, er, indecisive: Ladbrokes has even shortened its odds of two elections in one year to 4/1, down from 10/1. And although the two parties are neck and neck in the polls, at the bookies the Conservatives [...]