HMRC takes tougher stance towards tax evasion following Covid and war in Ukraine July 19, 2022 The UK government is taking an increasingly tough stance towards tax evaders, according to new analysis from Pinsent Mason, in a sign HMRC is taking an increasingly tough stance towards tax evaders in its efforts to balance the UK’s books, lawyers have said. The number of individual taxpayers charged with tax evasion jumped 11 per [...]
LV= faces pressure to say whether outgoing chief Mark Hartigan will take payout on exiting firm July 19, 2022 Critics have hit out at mutual insurer LV= over its refusal to say whether it will give outgoing chief executive Mark Hartigan a payout, following his exit from the firm. LV= has so far refused to say whether Hartigan will receive a payout or how much he might take, after the insurer on Monday announced [...]
UK launches innovative ‘problem-solving courts’ to tackle drug and alcohol related crime July 18, 2022 The UK’s Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has opened three “innovative” new courts specifically for those with substance abuse problems, as part of its £900m plan to tackle drug and alcohol related crime. The new “problem-solving courts” – in Liverpool, Teesside, and Birmingham – will provide services including rehabilitation services and housing support, in a bid [...]
OBR warns MPs against loose fiscal policy July 14, 2022 As the Tory leadership contest saw contenders set out their plans for taxes and government spending, officials from the UK’s fiscal watchdog yesterday repeated warnings about the trajectory of the UK’s public finances. In a Treasury Select Committee hearing yesterday, Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility Richard Hughes said that the UK’s debt is [...]
‘I am just a regular guy’: Michael Gove rejects Downing Street’s ‘snake’ label July 12, 2022 Former government minister and Tory heavyweight Michael Gove has denied that he is a “snake” after being described as such by No 10 sources after being sacked as communities secretary by Boris Johnson last week. The Prime Minister dramatically fired Gove last Wednesday after his Cabinet rival told him that it was time for him [...]
UK’s audit watchdog sets out plans to shakeup Britain’s accounting sector July 12, 2022 The UK’s accountancy watchdog has vowed to put in place a raft of new measures to increase standards in the UK’s audit sector in a bid to pave the way for the UK government’s long-awaited reforms. The UK’s Financial Reporting Council (FRC) on Tuesday published a paper outlining its plans to revise existing codes, strengthen [...]
Victims’ charity calls for ‘urgent’ investment to cut court backlog as barristers’ strike continues into third week July 11, 2022 A leading victims’ support charity has called on the government to take “urgent action” to cut the court backlog by upping investment in the criminal justice system – as criminal barristers prepared for their third week of strikes. Diana Fawcett, chief executive of Victim Support chief said “court delays and cancelled hearings” are having [...]
Striking barristers should accept government’s ‘generous offer,’ justice minister says July 6, 2022 Justice secretary James Cartlidge has called on striking barristers to “reconsider” their actions, after claiming the government’s current legal aid offer is “generous” enough. Speaking in the House of Commons, Cartlidge accused “those engaged in action” of “threatening to increase waiting times” as he doubled down on existing plans to hike legal aid fees by [...]
Whitehall spending on City law firm advice increases to more than £700,000 a week July 6, 2022 The UK government spent more than £700,000 a week on advice from City law firms last year, according to new figures which show Whitehall’s legal fee budget increased by a fifth compared to the previous year. The government spent more than £36.5m on advice from major law firms in 2021-22, in paying out weekly sums [...]
UK mental health crisis sends disability benefits bill soaring, IFS says July 6, 2022 The UK’s mental health plight has led to a rise in disability benefits spending as claims increased. Research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies today showed that the number of people on disability benefits rose to 6 per cent of the working age population in 2020-2021, at 2.2m, with spending soaring by 70 per cent. [...]