Trust in the Tinkerer of the Exchequer November 29, 2011 IT WAS a motley crew of beneficiaries the Tinkerer of the Exchequer ushered into the first class cabins of HMS Treasury yesterday. Satellites, waste facilities, broadband networks, supercomputers, world-bleating (beating?) animal health labs, the Kettering Bypass, small shops, the A453 link… “They’re all going to be improved!” the Tinkerer brayed, as he furiously rearranged the [...]
Balls: economy in tatters after growth plans are proved a truly colossal failure November 29, 2011 SHADOW chancellor Ed Balls yesterday called George Osborne’s plans for the UK economy a “truly colossal failure”, and claimed the country will have to borrow £158bn more than the government planned a year ago. Responding to the chancellor’s Autumn Statement, Balls told a raucous House of Commons: “After 18 months in office the verdict is [...]
Reforms to employment regulations will go ahead November 29, 2011 GEORGE Osborne yesterday reiterated the government’s plans to reform employment laws, including doubling the time before an employee can bring an unfair dismissal claim and introducing fees for tribunals. First announced in April’s budget, the Chancellor said the changes would help firms that are “afraid to hire new staff because of their fear about the [...]
WHAT DOES THE CHANCELLOR’S BUDGET MEAN FOR YOU? November 29, 2011 PWC’S BUDGET TEAM SAYS: The restricted rises in tube fares will help Catherine’s travel costs and so too will the fuel duty increases being less than expected. The bank levy increase from 1 January 2012 may hit Catherine’s clients in the financial services sector although they will be buoyed by the chancellor George Osborne’s reluctance [...]
VAT relief for charities that share costs November 29, 2011 THIRD sector groups that share back office functions will be given tax relief on VAT payments, a move that could save organisations £125m a year in tax by 2016-17. The VAT cost-sharing exemption will allow charities, universities and other non-profit groups to share costs without adding on VAT. Experts welcomed the announcement but said with [...]
Free childcare scheme gets £650m boost November 29, 2011 PARENTS have a better chance of accessing free nursery places for their toddlers after chancellor George Osborne almost doubled the scope of the government’s free childcare scheme yesterday. Free places at day care nurseries, children’s centres, playgroups or child minders for 15 hours per week will be made available to 260,000 two-year-olds from disadvantaged families, [...]
Pride before a fall: Osborne looked to special interests, not the UK’s perilous state November 29, 2011 THE Autumn Statement showed that George Osborne has failed to grasp the gravity of the economic crisis facing the UK. Urgent action was needed to brace the economy for double-dip recession and the fallout from the euro crisis. Instead, the chancellor announced a big increase in government borrowing, together with a series of measures that, [...]
The challenge to banks: Who will lead on service? November 29, 2011 WITH Virgin Money’s purchase of Northern Rock, hopes have been raised of a customer service revolution in the UK’s retail banking sector. Someone certainly needs to step up to the plate. Who dares to be different for the customer? That is the challenge waiting to be met. And it can be. The malaise is deep. [...]
Counting the costs of health and safety laws November 29, 2011 EMPLOYMENT minister Chris Grayling has announced plans to streamline workplace safety regulations and “put common sense back at the heart of health and safety”. As usual, common sense is here an excuse for not thinking very hard. If Grayling approached the matter in a principled way, he would realise that, rather being streamlined, workplace safety [...]
RAPID RESPONSES November 29, 2011 Management cuts [Re: There’s one economic policy the coalition has yet to try, yesterday] I definitely agree with the comment about the NHS and government bodies employing too many more managers than staff needed to actually get the job done. It has happened in many private sector areas too. I work in architecture and especially [...]
