Rishi Sunak hints he could block pension triple lock rise July 8, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak hinted he could block an increase to the state pension today, backtracking on his manifesto pledge to keep the triple lock. “I very much recognise people’s concerns” he told the BBC’s Today programme. He went to on to highlight that the triple lock is government policy, but did not commit to topping [...]
Brexit minister hits back at Elton John: ‘He had his first hits before the UK became EU member’ June 29, 2021 Elton John became successful before the UK joined the bloc, Brexit minister Lord Frost said today, as he hit back at criticism from the singer over post-Brexit visa rules for musicians in the EU. Sir Elton has previously warned of a “looming catastrophe” facing the UK music industry because of new travel restrictions on touring [...]
Deliver us from Evel: Whitehall is gearing up to fight Scottish Independence June 24, 2021 Six weeks on from the Scottish election defined by a campaign for a second independence referendum and the Nationalist camp has been eerily quiet about indyref2 since the ballots were cast. Nicola Sturgeon and her party’s commitment to a second independence vote remain undimmed, but they know Scots are wary of rushing into another campaign [...]
Protecting the green belt is not about the environment, it’s blinkered self-interest June 22, 2021 The UK needs approximately 345,000 new homes per year if we are to tackle our housing crisis. It is also estimated that by developing just 5.2 per cent of the existing Green Belt, we could build 1.4 million homes. Everybody knows the UK is in the throes of a housing crisis, yet we refuse to [...]
Analysts warn Rishi Sunak: Treasury’s pensions raid could be ‘hugely risky’ June 21, 2021 The Treasury is eyeing pensions taxation as one way to pay for the cost of the pandemic, it was reported this morning. Although there are no plans to make changes to the triple lock, the Treasury is looking at three ways to change the ways in which pension contributions are taxed, which some analysts have [...]
Staff crisis in hospitality: Act now or risk being the next France June 15, 2021 The hospitality sector is in the midst of a staff crisis. We always knew that staffing would be a challenge with full reopening post-Covid, that not everybody would return to work after furlough. Many of our French and Italian staff went back home during lockdown and had decided not to return to the UK or [...]
How tech and medical advances are transforming healthcare investing June 14, 2021 Healthcare innovation specialist John Bowler explains the revolution going on in the sector. Covid-19 aside, what other issues are emerging that will reshape the healthcare sector? The main drivers of healthcare remain unchanged: there is accelerating demand for healthcare services as people are increasingly living longer. Governments around the world face budget pressures with the [...]
Services sector expanded at fastest rate in 24 years in May June 3, 2021 The UK’s service industry saw business activity grow at its fastest rate in 24 years last month as the reopening of the country’s economy after the pandemic continued apace. The UK Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for services rose to 62.9 in May, up from 61 in April. Any score above 50 indicates growth. It [...]
Culture shock May 20, 2021 Covid-19 has left the UK’s world-leading arts sector fighting for survival. As museums and theatres prepare to reopen, four expert CAs tell us how their work has been upended and what their recovery roadmaps look like. This article first appeared in ICAS’ CA magazine. All dramatists know the importance of a happy ending; the gratifying [...]
Retirement planning? Sorry, we’re too busy watching Netflix May 19, 2021 The Covid-19 pandemic has led many people around the world to reassess their priorities and goals. Many countries have seen infection rates soar through various waves of the virus, resulting in widespread lockdowns with large parts of their economies closed and people forced to remain at home. In a more uncertain world, people have also [...]