Labour: tax credit cuts could cost the Conservatives the next General Election October 18, 2015 Cutting tax credits could cost the Tories 71 seats in the next General Election, the Labour party has argued. In new analysis released over the weekend, Labour identified 71 Conservative-held constituencies where the number of families set to lose tax credits exceeded the margin of the MP’s victory in May’s General Election. The government’s proposed [...]
EU referendum: avoiding Brexit would add £58bn to UK economy each year October 18, 2015 Staying in the European Union could add £58bn a year to the British economy by 2030, according to a new report out this week. The study, commissioned by the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign for the UK to remain in the EU, also found that avoiding a so-called Brexit could bring 790,000 jobs to Britain over [...]
Will Boris Johnson tackle George Osborne next? October 18, 2015 It looks like London mayor Boris Johnson is the voters' favourite to replace David Cameron as leader of the Conservative party. According to a new ComRes poll out this weekend, when asked whether Johnson or chancellor George Osborne would make a better prime minister, 39 per cent of respondents backed Johnson, compared to 33 per cent [...]
Could Crossrail be creating skills shortages in parts of Britain? Recruiter Randstad thinks so October 16, 2015 Crossrail could be to blame for skills shortages in certain parts of Britain, according to a new report out today from Randstad CPE, the specialist recruiter. Randstad says that more than a quarter of Crossrail’s workforce is drawn from regions more than 30 miles away from the project, with one in 20 moving more than [...]
European firms are too reliant on big banks, according to EY and TheCityUK October 16, 2015 Europe's financial stability could be at risk due to a lack of understanding about alternative forms of finance, a new report out today from EY and TheCityUK has warned. The report argues that the scarcity of information on alternative finance not only could this hinder firms’ future growth potential, but also leave businesses exposed in [...]
SNP conference 2015: Nicola Sturgeon says Brexit could lead to another independence referendum October 15, 2015 Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon doubled down today on her warning to Prime Minister David Cameron that Britain leaving the European Union could spark another Scottish independence referendum. Speaking at the SNP conference in Aberdeen, Sturgeon said taking Scotland out of the EU will result in a surge of demand for yet another in/out vote. "If [...]
EU referendum: Prime Minister David Cameron says he’ll spell out his demands in November October 15, 2015 After months of speculation, Prime Minister David Cameron has finally set a date for spelling out his demands to the European Union – and it's only weeks away. Cameron told reporters in Brussels today that the pace of renegotiation efforts between Britain and the EU would "quicken" and that he would set out "four vital areas where [...]
Deloitte: easy fixes among public sector workers could save Treasury £72m October 15, 2015 Marginal improvements in productivity among public sector workers could deliver savings of £72m, according to a new report out today from Deloitte and the think tank Reform. The report finds that by freeing up just one hour of public sector workers’ time over the course of an entire year, the Treasury could gain £57.7m in [...]
Retailers face £25.6m in extra costs from National Living Wage – PwC October 15, 2015 Large retailers could see their wage bills increase, on average, by £25.6m by 2020 due to the new National Living Wage (NLW), according to a new report out today from PwC. PwC polled more than 100 businesses with an average of 11,000 employees, finding that firms expect to pay, on average, an extra £1.6m in [...]
Business secretary Sajid Javid sides with Uber in Transport for London crackdown October 14, 2015 Business secretary Sajid Javid has stepped into the debate over private hire cars in the capital, refusing to rule out intervening in Transport for London’s proposals to regulate Uber and other services. Testifying before the business select committee today, Javid said TfL’s proposals were “heavy handed” and not in the interest of consumers. “TfL is [...]
