West End: Tourist tax ‘disadvantage’ costs retailers hundreds of millions September 16, 2024 Retail business in London missed out on a projected £220m in the first half of 2024 due to the ongoing effect of the so-called tourist tax, despite continued growth in international visitor numbers. The number of international visitors to London was three per cent above pre-pandemic levels, but spending in the West End fell nearly [...]
The Notebook: A new deal for working people? Labour’s plan risks mass layoffs September 16, 2024 Labour's new deal for workers promises to put employees first, but it risks badly backfiring, writes employment law expert Dan Pollard in today's Notebook.
Labour’s agenda risks serious economic damage September 16, 2024 Labour ministers, and even large parts of the public, might not shed a tear over the loss of these remote, almost abstract, purveyors of high-end financial services, but they should.
‘Open for business’: Ministers head to Gulf states in bid to boost UK trade links September 16, 2024 Senior ministers are heading to the Gulf states for talks on boosting the UK’s economy via expanding trade links with the region and attracting international investment. Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds and trade minister Douglas Alexander are flying to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on their first joint international visit since the election, with Alexander then set to [...]
UK will become less attractive for firms if workers’ rights reforms are passed, CBI survey finds September 15, 2024 The UK is likely to become a less attractive place to do business in the coming years if Labour’s workers’ rights reforms are implemented in their current form, a new survey has suggested. Some 62 per cent of respondents to a survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) survey and recruiters Pertemps said they [...]
Donated clothes helped Starmer’s ‘look their best’, Lammy claims September 15, 2024 Donated clothes given to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria were to help them “look their best” to represent the UK, David Lammy has argued. Speaking to the BBC, the foreign secretary said in countries like the US, leaders “have a huge budget paid for by the taxpayer so that they look [...]
Labour to soften 2030 petrol car ban by extending hybrid sales deadline September 15, 2024 Labour is planning to allow hybrid vehicles to be sold until 2035 amid concern over a slowdown in EV sales.
Lammy: West won’t be bullied by Putin over Ukraine missile talks September 15, 2024 The West will not be bullied by Vladimir Putin’s threat of all-out war with Nato if Ukraine is given permission to use Western weapons to strike inside Russia, David Lammy has said. The foreign secretary said talks were continuing with the US and allies about giving Kyiv permission to use UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to [...]
Triple Point: Social housing firm bets on Labour boost September 13, 2024 A listed social housing investor said the industry is set for a boost under the Labour government today as ministers prepare to tear up planning laws and kick off a housebuilding drive. Triple Point, which invests in supported accommodation, said in its half-year results that it is expecting a period of “greater political stability” that is [...]
Retail group calls for ‘rates corrector’ in next Budget September 13, 2024 High business rates and other bills have led to an overtaxing of the retail industry compared to its size in terms of GDP, according to fresh data. The British Retail Consortium found that retail pays 7.4 per cent of all business taxes – £33bn – a share 1.5 times greater than its share of the [...]