George Osborne challenges Ed Balls to say sorry over HSBC Swiss tax evasion scandal February 23, 2015 Chancellor George Osborne hit back at Labour over HSBC’s Swiss private bank yesterday, arguing that the wrongdoing took place and the taxman received the leaked documents under Labour, not the Tories, and Lord Green was given an advisory job by Gordon Brown. It comes after a fortnight of Labour accusing Osborne of failing to act [...]
HSBC case: Osborne could include new tax rules in budget February 23, 2015 New measures to tackle tax avoidance look set to be included in George Osborne’s budget next month in the wake of the HSBC tax case. As Osborne made his parliamentary response to the HSBC allegations he clashed with Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor. Balls accused Osborne of negligence, which moved Osborne to claim the government [...]
24 Hour Party People? George Osborne and Boris Johnson confirm plans to turn London into 24-hour city February 20, 2015 London is just months away from taking tentative steps towards becoming a 24-hour capital, and the government is already planning the next phase. Chancellor George Osborne and London mayor Boris Johnson this morning confirmed a wider rollout of the 24 hour service across the Tube and Overground lines from 2017. That will follow [...]
Labour ups the HSBC pressure on George Osborne over tax evasion row February 17, 2015 Labour’s Ed Balls has increased the pressure on George Osborne in the HSBC tax evasion row, calling on the chancellor to answer key questions. Labour are attempting to up the ante on Osborne, who has barely been seen over the course of the eight-day-long political row. HSBC’s Swiss branch is accused of helping customers evade [...]
George Osborne sets sights on pensioner votes with extension of 65+ bonds deadline past General Election day February 8, 2015 Chancellor George Osborne yesterday revealed that the government will now be offering £15bn worth of controversial so-called pensioner bonds, with an extended application deadline that falls on 15 May – one week after the General Election. The 65+ guaranteed growth bonds, as they are officially known, offer marketing leading rates, at 2.8 per cent interest [...]
George Osborne: Pensioner bond scheme to be extended to after general election February 8, 2015 The government will continue to offer its pensioner bonds for a further three months after more than 600,000 people signed up to the scheme. George Osborne revealed that the deadline for over 65s to apply for the scheme has been extended until after the general election in May due to its popularity. [...]
Adam Smith Institute calls on Osborne to back Varoufakis’s Greek debt-swap plan February 3, 2015 Greece's finance minister Yanis Varoufakis has found an enthusiastic backer for his debt restructuring plans in one of Britain's premier free-market think-tanks. Greece has abandoned demands for a write-off of foreign debt and has instead proposed swapping the outstanding debt for growth-linked bonds accompanied by a crackdown on tax evasion and budget surpluses. Varoufakis described [...]
Greece-Eurozone standoff presents “greatest risk to economy” George Osborne warns as Yanis Varoufakis visits London February 2, 2015 The standoff between Greece and the Eurozone presents the greatest risk to the global economy, chancellor George Osborne has said. Osborne, who met Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis in London today, said both sides needed to consider how they worked in future, or risk derailing growth, both globally and specifically within the UK. Varoufakis [...]
Greeks fly in for debt showdown: Finance minister Yanis Varoufakis to meet George Osborne on European tour February 1, 2015 The anti-austerity Greek finance minister is to meet with chancellor George Osborne today as part of a Europe-wide charm offensive to win over creditors and fellow politicians. Investment bank Lazard has been hired by the Greek government to advise on its debt burden during negotiations. Greek officials will also be in the City this week, [...]
WATCH LIVE: George Osborne at Davos January 23, 2015 David Cameron might not have made it to Davos this year, but chancellor George Osborne has made it – and following yesterday's decision by the European Central Bank to instigate a quantitative easing programme, he'll have plenty to talk about. What is the UK's position in the new Europe? And how much of a threat [...]