TV leaders’ debate 2015: What time is it, how to watch it, who goes first, all the rules and who’s tipped to win April 2, 2015 Tonight will be something of a landmark in British electoral history as seven party leaders go head-to-head in a live televised debate. We've gathered up the must-have info on the contest that could prove to be a gaffe-strewn game changer or electoral bore-athon with all the excitement of a joint press conference… What time is [...]
General Election 2015: Nick Clegg at risk of losing his seat as Sheffield race heats up April 1, 2015 Nick Clegg is on course to lose his seat at the General Election, a poll released yesterday shows. The new poll of marginal seats, by former Conservative peer Lord Ashcroft, revealed that the Liberal Democrat leader is two points behind his Labour opponent in Sheffield Hallam, where he has been the MP since 2005. The [...]
General Election 2015: Labour letter responds to businesses chiefs backing Conservatives April 1, 2015 Labour has responded to a pro-Conservative endorsement signed by 100 business leaders with their own letter of support from what it claims is a true section of British society. The pro-Labour letter was signed by a mixed group including up to 50 low-paid workers on zero-hours contracts and creative industry workers such as designer Wayne Hemingway [...]
Ed Balls fails to rule out lowering the threshold for the 40p rate April 1, 2015 Ed Balls has failed to rule out dragging more people into the 40p tax bracket. The shadow chancellor said the country still faced a £90bn deficit and could not guarantee the 40p threshold would not be lowered. The higher rate applies to those earning £41,865. In an interview with ITV News, Balls said: What I’d [...]
General Election 2015: Lord Ashcroft poll shows Nick Clegg on course to lose his seat to Labour April 1, 2015 Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg could lose his seat in Sheffield Hallam, according to the latest set of polls by Tory peer Lord Ashcroft. The snapshot poll shows 36 per cent are planning to vote for Clegg's Labour opponent Oliver Coppard, two points ahead of those who said they would support the deputy prime minister. [...]
General Election 2015: Labour-SNP deal could produce “constitutional crisis,” warns Blackrock April 1, 2015 The world's largest fund manager Blackrock has warned that a Labour-SNP deal after the General Election could lead to Britain resembling a "pre-crisis Spain." A partnership between the SNP and Labour would "raise the spectre of a dis-United Kingdom" reminiscent of when Spain's government was beholden to Basque and Catalan separatists and result in a [...]
Economy leapfrogs immigration as number one issue for voters April 1, 2015 The economy has become the number one issue at this year's General Election, polls show. After two months of lagging behind immigration and health, voters think the state of Britain's economy is not just the top issue for the country but also for themselves and their families. Polling guru Mike Smithson said the latest YouGov [...]
Former Labour business leaders back Tory economic plan April 1, 2015 As Ed Miliband prepares to lay out Labour's case for clamping down on zero hours contracts, more than 100 business leaders have declared their support for a Conservative government. In a letter to the Daily Telegraph leaders from some of Britain's household names like BP and Prudential sounded their support for Tory economic policy and [...]
General Election 2015: Growth lift unlikely to win Tories bigger slice of votes March 31, 2015 The UK economy grew at a faster rate last year than previously estimated, but political analysts are cynical as to whether this will boost the Conservatives’ election chances. Chancellor George Osborne was enthused after the Office for National Statistics published its third and final growth estimate yesterday. “GDP revised upwards from 2.6 per cent to [...]
Greece bailout: Greeks hoping for partial verdict on reform plans this afternoon March 31, 2015 Reforms proposed by Greece in return for urgently needed bailout cash will be scrutinised this afternoon during a Euro Working Group meeting – a group of Eurozone deputy finance officials. No final decision on the reforms will be made at the meeting – which starts at 2pm – but approval would be a major step. [...]