Labour to reform apprenticeship levy, Angela Rayner tells business leaders March 1, 2023 Labour will reform the unpopular apprenticeship levy, Angela Rayner pledged at a key business summit today. The scheme, which firms have described as a “£3.5bn mistake”, means companies with a payroll of £3m or above have to put aside 0.5 per cent to spend on apprenticeships. But firms say the rules around training types mean [...]
‘Shame on them’: Skipton Group boss slams banks for not passing on rate hikes to savers March 1, 2023 Skipton Group today criticised rival high street lenders for failing to pass on higher interest rates to savers. Britain’s banks have seen their income boosted by the Bank of England’s attempt to stave off inflation with a succession of ten straight interest rate hikes. The base rate now stands at four per cent – the [...]
Pressure rises on government to ramp up insulation of UK homes amid fuel poverty worries March 1, 2023 It will take 300 years for the government to meet its end-of-decade energy efficiency targets for British homes, warned NEA.
UK risks falling behind in global net zero race if it lowers green ambitions, ex climate minister Skidmore warns February 28, 2023 The UK risks falling behind rival countries in the "international net zero race" if it lowers its climate ambitions.
Sunak Brexit deal: King Charles meeting with EU’s von der Leyen ‘not unusual’ – Cleverly February 28, 2023 Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has rejected claims that the King was being drawn into political controversy over his meeting with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. Cleverly denied ministers were politicising the monarchy following the meeting between the King and the Brussels official at Windsor Castle, which coincided with the agreement of a new [...]
End of Bank of England £800bn bond buying scheme poses headaches for Treasury and taxpayers February 28, 2023 The magic money tree is shedding its leaves. Over a decade of cheap cash propping up the global economy has been toppled by a once in a generation inflation problem. QE was a necessary response to the batch of shocks ricocheting around the global economy since 2008. Now it’s shifted into reverse. But how did [...]
Shapps looks to win US support for green energy projects in net zero race February 28, 2023 Grant Shapps is hoping to sustain the UK’s role as a major player in the net zero race, and woo his US counterpart with joint projects.
To dream up what can be done with the empty Debenhams, look at Hounslow February 28, 2023 Nine out of ten of the former Debenhams shops are still empty. Projects like The Loft in Hounslow show what could be achieved if these precious spaces were to be repurposed, writes Elena Siniscalco
Brexit deal done: Rishi Sunak signs breakthrough agreement with EU over Northern Ireland protocol February 27, 2023 Rishi Sunak has signed a breakthrough deal with the European Union over post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland and will now seek to win the backing of unionists and Tory Eurosceptics. The Prime Minister and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen finalised the long-awaited agreement to ease the trading issues created by the Northern Ireland [...]
‘Constitutionally unwise’: King Charles warned about tea with EU’s von der Leyen over Brexit deal February 27, 2023 The King’s “constitutionally unwise” meeting with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has angered unionists as Rishi Sunak seeks their support over the new post-Brexit deal on Northern Ireland. Leading Conservative Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg said it was wrong to involve Charles in the “immediate political controversy” on the day the Prime Minister will sign a [...]