It’s time to take a chainsaw to red tape Opinion Britain’s regulatory state is about the only thing that’s growing under this Labour government, says Andrew Griffith As business now know, words are cheap – it’s actions that count. Rachel Reeves has spoken at length about her drive to deregulate the city, from her Mansion House speech in the summer to a recent deregulatory launch. [...]
Spending review: Labour’s economy is austerity for the taxpayer Opinion 'Austerity' isn’t just about reducing public expenditure – it also applies to tax hikes, writes John O'Connell following the Spending Review.
Council pay: Westminster tops ‘town hall rich list’ with 73 staff on over £100k Politics Westminster City Council has topped a national ‘town hall rich list’ with 73 staff rewarded with over £100,000 last year. The central London borough council also had the most employees nationwide – at eight – receiving more than £200,000 in total remuneration, in 2023-24, according to the Taxpayers’ Alliance (TPA). While 13 more Westminster staff [...]
MPs’ salaries to hit £93,904 in April March 24, 2025 It has been confirmed that MPs’ salaries will rise by almost three per cent to £93,904 in the next financial year. Parliament’s expenses watchdog has announced members of the House of Commons will benefit from a 2.8 per cent increase in pay from next month. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) said the pay rise [...]
‘Bitter pill’: MPs set to be on almost £94k after above inflation pay rise February 10, 2025 Plans for MPs to earn almost £94,000 after an above inflation pay rise have been criticised as a “bitter pill to swallow”. Members of Parliament (MPs) are in line for a 2.8 per cent pay increase which would put their annual salaries at £93,904, up from £91,346. It comes after the body in charge of [...]
Labour’s tax on business will cost young workers the most November 27, 2024 Labour's bid to improve workers' rights will end up costing the young and inexperienced the most, writes Elliot Keck.
Wealth tax ‘could cost the UK £100bn in 10 years’ October 29, 2024 The UK is especially vulnerable to the ill effects of a wealth tax and could suffer a near £100bn hit to its GDP in a decade were one introduced, a paper out today has argued. A two per cent tax applied to those with a net wealth of £10m would incur a 0.4 per cent [...]
High-tax, high-spend and little reform: Reeves’ plan is tried and failed September 24, 2024 Reeves says the UK public can trust Labour with its money, but her plan is just a reheated version of one we've already tried over and over again, writes Elliot Keck.
The Capitalist: Lord Bethell bigs up the rave; Greggs goes bling; James Blunt kicks off September 12, 2024 Lord Bethell muses on the politics of the rave while Greggs releases the new must-have City accessory: catch up on the latest gossip in The Capitalist.
Imposing VAT on private schools could be a net cost for the Treasury, research suggests May 20, 2024 John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "VAT on private schools is a clear cut case of a policy gimmick that will do grievous harm to families with potentially pathetic results for revenues."