London house prices: Rethinking high rise estate regeneration could create 360,000 more new homes January 11, 2016 We may have been doing regeneration wrong this whole time. There's a much better way to redevelop London's high rise housing estates that would increase the number of homes in the capital by several hundred thousand, a new report has found – all but solving the housing crisis. More than a quarter of a million extra homes [...]
London must build on low quality green belt spaces to solve its housing crisis, according to the Adam Smith Institute January 8, 2016 London should build on low quality green belt spaces to solve the housing crisis, according to new research from free market think tank the Adam Smith Institute. The think tank said one million new homes will be needed in the next 10 years and that low quality spaces around existing commuter infrastructure must be built on to meet housing [...]
Prime Minister David Cameron says he will not rule out imposing a new tax on sugary drinks January 7, 2016 Prime Minister David Cameron has left the door open to putting a new tax on sugary drinks, telling reporters this afternoon that he would not be "in the business of ruling things out" when it comes to tackling obesity. At a press conference in Hungary, Cameron said that while he would like to avoid imposing any [...]
City A.M.’s journalists take a look at what 2016 has in store for the world of finance and business January 4, 2016 BANKING Strengthening outlook despite more regulatory bumps ahead Bank of England governor Mark Carney may have declared the banking crisis officially over at the end of last year, but 2016 looks to be far from a challenge-free year for Britain’s biggest banks. To be sure, all seven of the UK’s leading lenders passed the Bank’s [...]
It’s time for radical solutions to address London’s housing crisis December 17, 2015 As MP since 2001 for the most central London constituency, I cannot recall a time when housing issues have not dominated my postbag. No surprise, perhaps, when UK buyers compete for a limited supply of homes with a global citizenry seeking its own slice of prime London. But I have also witnessed how the polarisation [...]
How to dramatically reduce the flow of refugees to Europe – at a minimal cost December 17, 2015 It's now very clear there is no way that Europe is able to accommodate the huge numbers of refugees attempting to enter. Let’s be realistic: most people are fleeing not because they want freedom and democracy, but to ensure the safety and future of themselves and their families. The only way to deal with the [...]
Autumn Statement 2015: George Osborne’s Help-to-Buy and other housing budget announcements are little more than empty rhetoric November 25, 2015 George Osborne’s big news today was the announcement that the government “chooses to build” and will double the housing budget to £2bn, reforming the housing system and pumping £7bn into building 400,000 more affordable homes. Described as "the biggest affordable housebuilding programme since the 1970s", it's great news for those in desperate need of affordable housing. However [...]
Autumn Statement 2015: George Osborne’s speech transcript in full including stamp duty, business rates and corporation tax announcements November 25, 2015 Mr Speaker, this Spending Review delivers on the commitment we made to the British people that we would put security first. To protect our economic security, by taking the difficult decisions to live within our means and bring down our debt. To protect our national security, by defending our country’s interests abroad and keeping our [...]
Antibacterial resistance: The pharmaceutical industry can’t solve it alone – individuals must play a big role, say experts November 16, 2015 Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to modern society. The medicines we use to treat some of the most dangerous bacterial infections are rapidly losing effectiveness, and we aren't creating new ones fast enough to keep up. In fact, a recent report by The Review of Antimicrobial Resistance – a group set up by [...]
We won’t end the UK’s culture of debt without tackling dire gaps in financial knowledge October 28, 2015 We all have financial ambitions in life: to buy our first car, to buy our first home, or to build a secure and healthy pension pot for our retirement. But while the vast majority of us have financial goals, less than half have a savings plan in place to deliver them. And what many [...]