UK tax competitiveness slips November 10, 2011 CORPORATE taxation policy in the UK is failing to keep up with rival nations and has slipped further down the international competitiveness rankings, according to a report out today from PwC. The UK fell to 18th place out of 183 countries measured, down from 16th last year and 11th in 2006. Other countries – including [...]
US jobless claims decline while trade gap narrows November 10, 2011 THE US Labor Department said yesterday that initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell for the second straight week, dropping 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 390,000. That is still well above levels seen before the 2007-2009 recession, but below a 400,000 claims level which economists say could likely prompt some acceleration in hiring. In a separate [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS November 10, 2011 E.ON Deutsche Bank rates the energy group as a “buy” with a target price of €23 (£19.64). The broker says the recent nine-month results were uneventful and in line, with full year targets confirmed for 2011. The target price is reduced slightly to reflect lower carbon dioxide prices, but the broker reiterates E.ON as a [...]
London still in housing price boom November 10, 2011 HOUSE prices in the capital are increasingly detached from those in the rest of the country as international wealth pours into London, according to a report from real estate adviser Savills, published today. Central London prices are set to grow by 22.7 per cent over the next five years, the report predicts, as over £4bn [...]
CITY VIEWS: ARE MOTORISTS UNFAIRLY TAXED BY THE CURRENT “GREEN” TAXATION SYSTEM? November 10, 2011 IAN SEYMOUR | HERBERT SMITH “I don’t have a lot of sympathy with motorists because it is so bad for the environment, so I cycle which is also more efficient and quicker. The taxes aren’t a bad thing.” DOUG KINGTON | CHARLES TYRWHITT “Green taxes are unfair because you need to know where the money [...]
Drivers are over-levied by £18bn, say campaigners November 10, 2011 DRIVERS are being “over-taxed” by high petrol taxes that far exceed the social costs of pollution, according to a Taxpayers’ Alliance report out today. The campaign group used the government’s own methodology, largely based on carbon emissions, to estimate the social costs of driving at £3.5bn in 2009-10. Over the same time period motoring taxes [...]
COLD COMFORT AS CITY SLEEPS ROUGH FOR CENTREPOINT November 10, 2011 DECEMBER 15, 2009 is a night that Seyi Obakin will always remember – the night he spent sleeping rough with the future King of England near Blackfriars Bridge. “It was not a pleasant experience,” said Obakin on the sub-zero conditions, who said Prince William was particularly struck by how the “sense of drift” could contribute [...]
MURDOCH NO-SHOW AT GRANDEES GATHERING November 10, 2011 THE SELECT Committee hearing into the News of the World phone hacking scandal took precedence over RLM Finsbury’s annual party for News Corp heir James Murdoch, a guest at the event in previous, happier, times. But the day’s invigilator, John Whittingdale MP, did make it after the day’s ordeal to the Millbank venue, where a [...]
Terry backed by England stars despite police probe November 10, 2011 ENGLAND vs SPAIN ENGLAND stars Joe Hart and Phil Jones insist John Terry’s presence in the squad for tomorrow’s friendly against Spain has not caused any tension, despite the captain being under investigation for alleged racial abuse. Manager Fabio Capello called up Terry for matches against the world champions and Sweden, who visit on Tuesday, [...]
Bent must show there’s more to his game than goals November 10, 2011 AS DAUNTING a task as depleted England face against Spain, tomorrow’s friendly will provide manager Fabio Capello with the ideal opportunity to gauge the merits of those forwards vying to replace the suspended Wayne Rooney at Euro 2012. With the tools he has at his disposal I can’t see the England manager going with anything [...]
