‘Bond market tantrum risks’: Gilt traders brace for Labour leftward pivot as Starmer future uncertain
Rishi Sunak is ‘pragmatic’ about imposing windfall tax on soaring energy profits as Brits’ bills skyrocket May 13, 2022 Chancellor Rishi Sunak said he was “pragmatic” about possibly imposing a windfall tax on the soaring profits of oil and gas giants as customers’ bills rise. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has shown firm opposition to the raid but has conceded “we’ll have to look at it” after BP chief executive Bernard Looney said his investment [...]
Building nuclear power plants will only drive up energy bills even further, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng warns May 13, 2022 The Government’s ambitious nuclear power push may initially increase energy bills, the Business Secretary has warned. Kwasi Kwarteng said the plan to build new power plants as part of a new energy strategy may have a “small effect” on bills. But he told the BBC “nuclear is back on the table” because the Government considers [...]
VAT revenues rise to highest amount ever as HMRC pockets £157bn in just one year May 13, 2022 HMRC collected a record £157.2bn from VAT bills in in the last tax year, a 55 per cent jump on the £101bn collected in 2020/21, after businesses were forced to make up for VAT payments they deferred during the pandemic. Accountants have told City A.M. that HMRC’s VAT income has risen sharply after the rate [...]
Priti Patel lashes out at Sadiq Khan for looking into legalising cannabis: ‘Better focus on crime in London’ May 12, 2022 Home Secretary Priti Patel this morning hit back at London mayor Sadiq Khan’s plan to consider whether cannabis should be decriminalised in the UK, saying he has “no powers to legalise drugs”. Patel said Mr Khan’s time would “be better spent” focusing on tackling crime in the capital after he announced he was launching a [...]
Lloyds chair says junior staff will be first in line when bank’s £399m bonus pot is handed out May 12, 2022 The chair of Lloyds Bank has said the company plans to prioritise its junior staff when reviewing pay packages as employees struggle with the rising cost of living. At the bank’s annual general meeting on Thursday, Robin Budenberg said: “Our colleagues, especially at a more junior level, are impacted by the rising cost of living [...]
UK pension holders in for a shock as thousands face unexpected tax charges due to exceeding lifetime allowance May 12, 2022 Thousands of pension savers potentially face tax charges as they have more than the lifetime allowance sitting in their personal pensions, figures indicate. Around 2,300 people have been paying into personal pension schemes exceeding the lifetime allowance of £1,073,100, according to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) data. InvestingReviews.co.uk obtained the figures from HMRC following a [...]
Oil bosses dubbed ‘the new oligarchs’ as political focus on windfall tax for energy giants grows May 12, 2022 Conservative MP Robert Halfon this morning labelled oil company bosses “the new oligarchs” as he called on the Government to hit them with a windfall tax. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, he said the Government had done “a fair bit” to tackle the cost-of-living crisis but that families were still struggling with food [...]
Energy giants hold their breath as Boris Johnson refuses to rule out windfall tax and Rishi Sunak starts examining profit levy May 12, 2022 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has refused to rule out a windfall tax on the profits of the energy companies to help relieve the pressure of the cost-of-living squeeze. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has reportedly told Treasury officials to examine plans for a levy on the soaring profits of the oil and gas giants. It follows an [...]
Royal Mail bets big on 500 drones for 50 new aerial postal routes across UK in push to make air deliveries take off May 12, 2022 With the creation of 50 new “postal drone routes” over the next three years, Royal Mail said it plans to increase its use of drones for deliveries. Under a partnership with logistics drone company Windracers, and subject to Civil Aviation Authority approval, the move will provide faster and more convenient services for remote communities, said [...]
D-Day for Brexit deal as UK and EU hold crunch talks after Boris Johnson calls Northern Ireland discussion ‘crazy’ May 12, 2022 As ministers consider whether to override parts of the post-Brexit deal on Northern Ireland, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will hold crunch talks with the vice president of the European Commission in the coming hours. Attorney General Suella Braverman is said to have approved the scrapping of swathes of the agreement, giving Boris Johnson legal cover [...]