We should be creating a Right to Build not reviving more Thatcherite dreams May 5, 2022 This week, Boris Johnson mooted the idea of breathing new life into the Thatcherite right-to-buy policy. As the Conservatives face down the barrel of fierce local elections, headline-grabbing policies are a useful tool. With the new right-to-buy scheme, up to 2.5 million households could be able to buy their homes at a discounted price of [...]
ICAS calls for a UK tax strategy to support the transition to net zero May 5, 2022 ICAS has issued a briefing paper ‘The role of tax in getting to net zero’, discussing how tax can be a vital part of the package of measures needed to deliver the UK’s ambitious target for reducing emissions. The UK’s Net Zero Strategy In 2019 the UK put into legislation a requirement to bring all [...]
UK banks ‘ahead of the pack’ in climate risk exposure disclosures May 5, 2022 UK banks are the most transparent in the world at disclosing their exposure to climate change risks, reveals a fresh report released today. The creation of an accounting framework that incentivises British lenders to update markets on their green credentials has led to them being “ahead of the pack,” according to consultancy KPMG. The Prudential [...]
As the British Virgin Islands fights off corruption, the UK must learn our help can hurt May 5, 2022 Last week, the Premier of the British Virgin Islands was arrested in the US on drug smuggling charges; corruption and the ongoing power imbalance in the dying embers of the British empire has once more been thrust into the spotlight. This is a constitutional crisis. However, the proposed solution of direct rule from London reveals [...]
UK risks carbon dioxide shortage due to energy taxes, warns vital fertiliser firm May 4, 2022 CF Fertilisers warned the government last year that green levies could lead to more firms collapsing, as it struggled to deal with energy prices.
US Federal Reserve hikes rates at quickest pace in over two decades May 4, 2022 The world’s most influential central bank today hiked interest rates at the quickest pace since 2000 in a sign the era of cheap money is coming to an end. The US Federal Reserve lifted the financial system’s key interest rate 50 basis points to a range of 0.75-1 per cent as it scrambles to douse [...]
Crossrail is (almost) complete but the battle for TfL funding is far from over May 4, 2022 The ‘Lizzie Line’ is good news for London – but it might be the last for a while without a funding settlement for the transport network It says something that the relationship between London’s mayoral leadership and Westminster is now so toxic that both sides are attempting to claim credit for a project three years [...]
London misses out as Binance taps Paris as home of European HQ May 4, 2022 Crypto exchange Binance has confirmed Paris will be the home of its European Headquarters after securing approval from local regulators.
Hitting the high note: Providence puts music catalogue up for sale in £479m mega deal May 4, 2022 Just as other private equity funds are snapping up music catalogues, Providence Equity is preparing to sell up. According to reports from the Financial Times, Providence is looking to sell the Tempo song catalogue, which includes hits from rapper Wiz Khalifa and Twenty One Pilots, for an estimated $600m (£479m). It is understood that the [...]
The City View: US and UK rate hikes imminent May 4, 2022 Today Andy Silvester talks to City A.M.’s Economics and Markets reporter Jack Barnett. They go through UK and US rate rises, discuss the likelihood of a recession, and explain equity market slumps. Also in the news: Crossrail is only 20 days away and sales are slowing at JD Wetherspoon.