Number of accountancy firms falls as merger activity in the sector heats back up after it tapered off in 2010 November 30, 2015 The number of accountancy practices in the UK fell last year as merger activity across the sector rose once again. According to figures released today by commercial finance company LDF, the number of accountancy firms in the country dropped from 6,962 to 6,622 in the year to December 2014, as more businesses combine their activities in [...]
The proportion of female high earners has stayed the same at just over a quarter for the last four years November 30, 2015 The proportion of female high earners has not increased over the last four years. Research released today by law firm Clyde & Co discovered that, using data obtained from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the proportion of women who pay tax at a higher rate had remained unchanged at 27 per cent over the time [...]
Barclays: Robotics is the future for Britain’s struggling manufacturers November 30, 2015 The UK's struggling manufacturing sector has bags of potential, according to a new report from a major British lender. Barclays has said today it believes that further automation and utilisation of robotics could add as much as £60.5bn to the sector, and the economy as a whole, over the next 10 years. It would take [...]
Lloyds Bank: More Brits have got spare cash in their pocket November 30, 2015 Brits are feeling more confident about the amount they can save, according to new survey figures published this morning. A survey of 6,210 people from Lloyds Bank showed 20 per cent of them were confident about saving more money over the next 12 months. The figures, which were collected over the three months to September, show [...]
Mario Draghi to boost Eurozone asset purchases November 30, 2015 The Eurozone is geared up to receive a policy boost this week, with the majority of analysts expecting the European Central Bank (ECB) to ramp up its €1.1 trillion (£780bn) asset purchase programme this Thursday. “President Draghi and board members have been unequivocally dovish, indicating that the ECB was working on different options to ease policy further, [...]
New initiative rakes in £300m from stamp duty avoidance clampdown November 30, 2015 HMRC has raked in over £300m in one year through clamping down on stamp duty land tax (SDLT), according to new research released this morning. The government’s new Counter Avoidance Directorate (CAD) collected £301.8m from the tax applied to property and land transactions in the 12 months to March, data from law firm Collyer Bristow [...]
COP21 Paris climate summit: Business has role in fighting climate change, says David Cameron November 30, 2015 Prime Minister David Cameron will today say that business has a vital role to play in fighting climate change because it is too large an issue for governments alone to deal with. Setting out his priorities for negotiations at the COP21 climate change summit in Paris, he will also say Britain wants to see a [...]
Transport for London sets up new team to help to tackle growing traffic congestion November 30, 2015 Transport for London (TfL) has created new team to help tackle growing traffic congestion in the capital, it announced today. The new 40-strong team – that will rise to 80 by next spring – will help to deal with problems such as illegal stopping or unloading of deliveries, which can cause delays to drivers and [...]
MPs back sugar tax endorsed by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver November 30, 2015 An influential parliamentary committee has called for a new “sugary drinks tax” on full sugar soft drinks. In a report published today, the health select committee says that “bold and urgent action” is required to curb childhood obesity. Committee chair Sarah Wollaston, a GP who has been the Conservative MP for Totnes since 2010, said: “One-third [...]
CBI director-general Carolyn Fairbairn says mid-sized firms are the “missing link” in the British economy November 30, 2015 Carolyn Fairbairn will use her first major speech as Confederation of British Industry (CBI) director-general today to call on the government to introduce new policies to promote medium-sized businesses. Speaking at CBI event in London, Fairbairn will say that Britain’s 3,000 so-called “scale-up medium-sized businesses” (MSBs) contributed £59bn to the UK economy between 2010 and 2013. [...]