DEBATE: Should Hammond keep the Tory promise and increase the higher-rate tax threshold to £50,000? October 29, 2018 Should Philip Hammond keep the Tory promise and increase the higher-rate tax threshold to £50,000? Ben Ramanauskas, researcher at the Taxpayers’ Alliance, says YES. People earning £45,000 (the current threshold) can no longer be considered wealthy, particularly considering the high cost of living in our major cities. There is a housing crisis in the UK, [...]
What to expect from chancellor Philip Hammond’s Budget October 28, 2018 Ahead of tomorrow's Autumn Budget City A.M. looks at the areas that chancellor Philip Hammond is likely to focus on in his last chance to tweak the UK’s fiscal regime before the Brexit deadline in March Roads Hammond is expected to announce almost £30bn for new road projects and repairs which will be partially funded [...]
The City helps fuel economic growth right across the country, so be wary of those who want to clip its wings October 28, 2018 One of the most pernicious elements of Labour's current economic platform is the idea that the City is entirely distinct from (and damaging to) the so-called real economy. Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell's stump speeches routinely contain attacks on predatory bankers, fat-cats and financial speculators. The labour leader also seems to have a personal vendetta against [...]
Reimagining the way we use space could reawaken our deserted high streets October 26, 2018 A group of some of the biggest restaurants in the UK have called on the government to tax web giants in order to save the high street. Since 2008, 11,000 major high street outlets have gone bust, while 1,500 restaurant insolvencies were reported in the UK in 2017, and 15,000 more are under threat. The [...]
The carbon tax cost my company millions – and I’m calling on the chancellor to raise it on Monday October 26, 2018 Normally in the week before a Budget, you would expect businesses like mine to be making last-minute pitches to the chancellor for less regulation and a cut in taxes. Yet here I am about to make a case in favour of the carbon tax – a tax which in the past cost my company millions [...]
Philip Hammond should be unashamed to show he is a true blue in the Budget October 25, 2018 With extra funding for the NHS and an end to austerity already announced, Philip Hammond must be wondering if it is him or John McDonnell delivering next week's Budget. While the cash boost for the health service is welcome, and the narrative of ending austerity popular with certain commentators, Hammond must use the Budget to [...]
What entrepreneurs want Philip Hammond to announce in the Autumn Budget October 25, 2018 At the Conservative party conference earlier this month, chancellor Philip Hammond announced £20m of investment in business networks “to enable small businesses to learn from each other and from world-leading firms”. He also recognised the need for mentoring and management training for small and medium-sized enterprises, pledging another £11m to help 10,000 businesses by 2025, [...]
Jes Staley seeks to brush off Bramson challenge but Barclays still faces the headwinds October 24, 2018 Barclays CEO Jes Staley struck a bullish tone yesterday, insisting his investment banking division was on the up. Third quarter profits jumped to £1.5bn, up from £1.1bn a year ago. If this puts a spring in Staley's step, there are plenty of items in his in-tray to pull him back down to earth – not [...]
What can we expect from a pre-Brexit Annual Budget? October 24, 2018 | City Talk The Budget is the biggest date in the UK’s financial calendar where the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, will deliver the government’s plans for tax and spending for the 2019/2020 financial year, starting in April next year. The Budget is a little unconventional this year as it usually falls on a Wednesday, but all you trick-or-treaters will [...]
This Budget, I’m dreaming of a tax system fit for the future October 24, 2018 The announcement that the Autumn Budget would take place in October – almost a month earlier than we’ve become accustomed to – surprised a fair few people. It probably shouldn’t have. Philip Hammond understandably wants his finance bill passed safely through the Commons without it getting caught in the crosshairs of ongoing Brexit negotiations and the [...]