General Election 2015: Ed Miliband promises review of HMRC after HSBC tax avoidance row February 14, 2015 Labour has set its sights on the tax inspector, promising a “root and branch” review of HMRC following criticism of the investigation it made into tax avoidance which came to light from the HSBC Swiss bank leaks. Miliband made the pledge speaking at the Welsh Labour Conference in Swansea as the issue of tax avoidance [...]
Grant Shapps puts free trade at heart of Conservatives’ election pitch February 12, 2015 Conservative chairman Grant Shapps made a robust defence of free trade yesterday, telling Tory activists: “The only times in human history when ordinary people have escaped a life of grinding poverty is when we’ve allowed enterprise to flourish.” Speaking at the Institute of Directors, he called for the removal of tariffs that are “making it [...]
Ukip’s Nigel Farage claims “corporatism” has made us “victims of the economy” February 12, 2015 Today, Nigel Farage spoke of the dangers of “corporatism” during a speech on Ukip's vision for the future of Britain. At Castle Point in Essex, where Ukip candidate Jamie Huntman is currently standing, Farage said the current system made us “victims of our own economy”, and that we are living under a “lethal [...]
First Minister: We’ll prop up labour if it abandons austerity February 11, 2015 SCOTTISH National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon laid out her election plans in a speech at University College London yesterday. During her visit to the capital, Sturgeon refused to rule out a Westminster coalition with Labour but insisted that Ed Miliband’s party would have to commit to higher government spending. The title of her speech at [...]
Pro-immigration campaigners secure one third of funding goal February 10, 2015 A CAMPAIGN group is planning a nationwide poster campaign to celebrate the contribution immigrants make to British society. The group, Movement Against Xenophobia (Max), is seeking £66,000 through Crowdfunder to support its “I am an immigrant” campaign, with the aim of having posters across all Tube and rail networks in the weeks before 7 May [...]
PM tells firms: Labour sees you as their enemy February 10, 2015 DAVID Cameron launched a strongly-worded attack on Labour yesterday, telling businesses that “in their vision, you are the enemy.” Ed Miliband is trying to dispel Labour’s image as an anti-business party, and the Prime Minister weighed in with a series of attacks on the opposition leader. He argued Labour would hike corporation tax, which the PM [...]
Labour could lose half its Scottish seats, says new TNS poll February 10, 2015 The Scottish National Party (SNP) could double its vote in the 2015 General Election, according to a poll from TNS. The news is a further blow to Scottish Labour, who, if the figures are representative, could see themselves on the wrong side of a 10-point deficit and facing the loss of half of its Scottish seats. [...]
Labour paternity leave pledge: How does the UK compare to other OECD countries? February 10, 2015 Ed Miliband is advocating an increase in paternity leave (Source: Getty) Labour leader Ed Miliband has promised that if his party gets into power this May, it will dramatically increase paternity leave and pay. New fathers will get four weeks off and £260 a week under the new proposals: double the time and £100 a [...]
Labour blasted over paternity leave proposals as “father’s month” branded “tax on business” February 8, 2015 A leading business group has criticised Labour’s proposals for a “father’s month” of paternity leave, branding it a “tax on business”. The British Chamber of Commerce said giving fathers a month’s paid leave and increasing the minimum level of paternity pay would hurt small and medium-sized businesses. Labour leader Ed Miliband is expected to detail [...]
Labour frontbenchers defend “pro-business” credentials February 8, 2015 Two Labour frontbenchers appeared on the BBC this morning to defend the party’s business policy in the wake of mounting criticism that it was hostile to the private sector. Shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt argued that Labour was “furiously, passionately, aggressively pro-business”. A number of leading figures in business have warned of [...]