Police should be located in London Underground ticket offices, says think tank March 14, 2016 Police should be located in London Underground ticket offices to boost visibility and make it easier for the public to report crimes, a think tank has said. A report, titled Boosting London’s Frontline Policing, by the Capital City Foundation, the London focused unit of leading think tank Policy Exchange, has argued "underground police points" would also [...]
Mid-market businesses pursuing M&A “significantly” up in 2016, new study finds March 14, 2016 Mid-market businesses are “significantly more inclined” to engage in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in 2016 than previously, a new study has found. Some 53 per cent of mid-market business leaders are certain or likely to pursue M&A or external growth this year, Capstone Strategic’s State of Middle Market M&A 2015 found. The most likely reasons [...]
London office rents may be high – but there’s still plenty of fuel in the tank for growth as businesses look outside the centre March 14, 2016 Central London’s property market has been booming now for half a decade. Values and rents for the capital’s offices have risen steadily, by 88 per cent and 44 per cent respectively between April 2010 and January 2016, and those investing in the market have enjoyed total returns of 140 per cent over the same period. As ever, many [...]
High duty rates help explain why the UK cider industry is under threat March 14, 2016 The cider industry is woven into the fabric of Britains’s heritage and plays a vital role in our rural economy. There are more than 500 cider makers in the UK, with some 7,000 people employed in the industry. More than that, it is an industry that generates £1bn in apple supply contracts and £100,000,000 in exports. However, [...]
EU referendum: Berenberg economists predict Brexit could cause recession, a run on sterling, David Cameron’s resignation and another Scottish IndyRef March 14, 2016 You wake up on the morning of 24 June, the day after the UK went to the polls for the EU referendum, tentatively draw the curtains and what do you find. Big Ben submerged as the Thames breaches its barriers? Earthquakes and tornadoes ripping up the Home Counties? Horses eating each other? A version of that is [...]
Budget 2016: Institute of Fiscal Studies’ Paul Johnson says budget cuts may not materialise March 14, 2016 Chancellor George Osborne has indicated he will announce more cuts in his Budget, but these cuts may never materialise, director of the Institute of Fiscal Studies Paul Johnson has said. Yesterday the chancellor indicated be may have to announce cuts worth up to £4bn by the end of this parliament when he delivers his Budget [...]
Peer-to-peer mortgage company LendInvest announces £17m investment from Skype founder’s company Atomico March 14, 2016 Peer-to-peer (P2P) mortgage company LendInvest has announced a new investment worth £17m. The company's second equity investment has come from Atomico, a venture capital investment firm launched by Niklas Zennström, who founded Skype. It comes nine months after LendInvest raised £22m from Chinese technology company Beijing Kunlun. And LendInvest said it brings institutional investment to more than £200m in [...]
UK pet shop chain Pet Corner has stopped selling pet rabbits until after Easter March 14, 2016 Ear's a good one: a rabbit is for life, not just for Easter. With Easter just around the corner, some of us may be considering getting a cuddly (and lower-calorie) alternative to the usual chocolate eggs, but one pet retailer wants to stop originality in its tracks – and has banned all sales of pet rabbits until after the [...]
Budget 2016: The UK property industry’s wishlist for Chancellor George Osborne March 14, 2016 Stamp duty reform is at the top of the UK's property industry wishlist for when Chancellor George Osborne opens his red box to deliver the Budget on Wednesday. 1. Reversal of recent government stamp duty changes Recent UK stamp duty reforms are having a damaging impact on the housing market and should be reviewed. The Stamp [...]
Night Tube launch date 2016: August start reported for London Underground’s 24-hour weekend service March 14, 2016 London's long-awaited Night Tube services will finally begin in August, according to driver unions, almost a year after it was first expected to start. The roll-out will bring 24-hour weekend services to the London Underground on the Victoria and Jubilee lines initially, with the Central, Northern and Piccadilly lines to follow in September. Read more: This [...]