US economy races ahead of UK despite Federal Reserve crushing Americans with rate hikes January 26, 2023 The US economy is growing much faster than expected despite the Federal Reserve piling pressure on Americans with aggressive interest rate hikes to tame inflation, official figures out today show. Stateside gross domestic product (GDP) climbed 2.9 per cent over the three months to December, better than the 2.6 per cent growth pencilled in by [...]
‘No penalties for innocent tax errors’: Head of HMRC piles more pressure on Zahawi January 26, 2023 The boss of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has told MPs there are “no penalties for innocent errors”, as he was quizzed on the tax furore surrounding Nadhim Zahawi. HMRC chief executive Jim Harra, appearing before the Public Accounts Committee where he was due to discuss tax compliance and the pandemic, was pressed on some [...]
Zelensky in tell-all English interview says it’s ‘not correct’ to say if ‘good guy’ Boris Johnson should return as PM January 26, 2023 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky branded Vladimir Putin a “nobody” as he suggested that it was too late for face-to-face talks with the Russian leader to make any difference. Zelensky, who turned 45 on Wednesday, also praised his “special bond” with Boris Johnson but declined to say whether he would like to see him return as [...]
Elon Musk: Twitter a ‘powerful tool’ to drive Tesla’s demand as car maker’s revenue soars to $24.3bn January 26, 2023 Twitter is “an incredibly powerful tool” to drive Tesla’s demand, according to chief executive Elon Musk. “I really encourage all kinds of automotive companies to use their Twitter accounts in ways that are interesting, informative and entertaining and it will help drive sales just as it has with Tesla,” Musk told investors on Wednesday night. [...]
The Square Mile and Me: The Lord Mayor on Christopher Wren, the Old Dr. Butler’s Head and why he admires Willie Purves January 26, 2023 Every week we dip into the memory back of the City's great and good. This week it's the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Nicholas Lyons.
PMQs: Sunak to come under fresh scrutiny today amid Zahawi tax row and calls to fire Tory chair January 25, 2023 Rishi Sunak will come under fresh pressure over Nadhim Zahawi as he resists firing the Tory party chairman despite him being under investigation over his tax affairs. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is likely to seize on the fallout from Mr Zahawi’s multi-million pound settlement at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday. The Prime Minister ordered [...]
The Notebook: Jimmy McLoughlin on ChatGPT, a healthy EY boss and the Scotch industry January 25, 2023 The political aide turned podcast host riffs on ChatGPT, the Scotch industry and RSVPs to the party of the year
Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin lashes out at ‘vast disparity in VAT treatment’ between pubs and supermarket alcohol sales January 25, 2023 Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin has launched a scathing attack on the government, saying the biggest threat to pubs is the “vast disparity in tax treatment” compared to restaurants and supermarkets. The outspoken chain boss said he was “cautiously optimistic” for the financial year ahead, as the firm published its like-for-like sales in the 25 weeks [...]
Heat pumps too expensive to meet social housing needs, warns Sureserve January 24, 2023 The government will need to drive down the price of heat pumps if it is serious about transitioning from gas boiler, warns Sureserve.
Ovo Energy backs social tariff for vulnerable households facing record bills January 24, 2023 Ovo Energy has joined calls for a social tariff to help vulnerable households grappling with record energy bills.