Enjoy a tranquil escape down the Mekong in Laos October 9, 2014 By David Leck It’s a short journey from Chiang Rai in Thailand to the north-eastern corner of Laos – and to a border crossing that evokes the days before the onslaught of soulless airports and mega-brand domination. Despite the recent opening of the “Friendship Bridge” spanning the Mekong River the small town of Houeyxai is [...]
It’s Laffable: Why hiking capital gains tax would only depress revenues October 8, 2014 THE LIBERAL Democrats have proposed raising capital gains tax (CGT) rates in order to reduce taxes on the least well off. Go to the back of the class! CGT is a bad tax implemented badly. There is no more revenue to be raised. The case against CGT on investments is overwhelming. Capital gains tend to [...]
Clegg: Lib Dem policy on airport expansion makes no sense to me October 7, 2014 LIBERAL Democrat leader Nick Clegg has admitted that his party’s decision not to back airport expansion in the south of England doesn’t make sense. His comments came after the decision, reached after a vote at the party’s annual conference in Glasgow, received fierce criticism from business groups, which wrote it off as damaging. John Cridland, [...]
Property in London: Is it a safe asset? October 7, 2014 Base rate hikes and a strong pound will dent prices, says Yogi Dewan THE EASY money in property markets was made a long time ago. That said, real estate remains the ultimate safe haven for many investors, as they consider it to be a better alternative to investing in global equities, government bonds or other [...]
Electra share price drops as shareholders fend off activist investor Edward Bramson and Sherborne Investors October 6, 2014 Electra shareholders have fended off a bid by activist investor Edward Bramson to join the private equity fund’s board at its annual general meeting today. The move sent shares in Electra down almost two per cent this morning. Bramson’s Sherborne Investors had sought backing for reform of the group, with the elusive investor telling shareholders [...]
Stop bashing the super rich: You’ll make us all poorer October 2, 2014 FOR ALL their wealth, ultra high net worth (UHNW) individuals are a tiny minority, with little clout at the ballot box. Labour’s proposed mansion tax on homes worth over £2m is just the latest assault on the super rich, who have become an easy target for politicians; the top 1 per cent of earners already [...]
Cameron was right to be bold with his radical tax cutting promise October 1, 2014 ASK A party spin doctor what they’d like from the coverage of their leader’s speech and the honest ones will tell you that a single, tweetable, headline-friendly message is the ultimate prize. In that context, it doesn’t get much better than Cameron’s post-speech coverage, which boiled down to “tax cuts for 30m people.” Certainly, as [...]
Bramson shows hand on Electra bid September 17, 2014 The boadroom showdown at Electra Private Equity turned up a notch yesterday as activist shareholder Edward Bramson enticed shareholders by pledging to double the share price. Bramson slammed the Electra board’s lack of commercial experience and below-par performance in a letter to shareholders and pushed for heads to roll at a 6 October shareholder’s meeting. [...]
Service industry looks to an improved Britain September 11, 2014 BUSINESS SERVICES of the year In uncertain times, companies that are willing to try something different – be that a new management team, an innovative business structure or a better use of technology – are those that tend to succeed. Our choices come from the transport sector, catering, white-collar recruitment, online professional networking and management [...]
London property market: Why a mansion tax could be disastrous for government coffers September 10, 2014 The threat of a mansion tax still looms large over the prime London housing market – despite the fact it could end up cutting the amount of tax paid to the government, according to research from property consultancy Savills. A mansion tax has been suggested by both the Liberal Democrats and Labour, and has proven [...]