Budget 2017 UK predictions: What you can expect from the chancellor’s Spring Budget March 7, 2017 It's that time of year again: the chancellor is getting set to dust off his little red box and deliver the Spring Budget. It's the last one we'll see at this time of year, as Philip Hammond decided to move the major announcements to an Autumn Statement schedule. It's likely to be a more staid [...]
Entrepreneur housebuilders have been crushed: We must bring them back to life March 7, 2017 It's nothing new to say that too few homes are being built in the UK. Fourteen housing ministers in the last 20 years have acknowledged it time after time, just as they have recognised that housing – or the lack thereof – is the UK’s greatest modern economic challenge. Yet the frequency with which these individuals have [...]
Letter: Reform business rates entrepreneurs tell chancellor ahead of Spring Budget March 7, 2017 Entrepreneurs, startup founders and tech leaders have penned an open letter to chancellor Philip Hammond ahead of the Spring Budget calling for business rates reform. Dear chancellor, In recent years London has established itself as Europe’s top destination for technology startups. Our capital has gone above and beyond to welcome and nurture some of the [...]
Entrepreneurs and tech leaders urge chancellor to give startups business rate exemption in Spring Budget March 7, 2017 Entrepreneurs and tech leaders are urging the chancellor Philip Hammond to exempt newly created companies from business rates, adding their voice to a growing chorus of anger at the burden of an imminent rise in costs, and calls for reform. A three-year exemption would give startups breathing space and a chance to find their feet while [...]
Pensions taskforce to call for £1.5 trillion superfund to plug black holes in UK’s retirement funds March 6, 2017 A group of pensions experts will call on the government in the next few days to set up a £1.5 trillion superfund to fix the UK's pensions crisis. According to Sky News, which first reported the story, the committee set up by the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) is expected to urge ministers to consolidate all of [...]
This is what the booze and tobacco sectors are hoping to see in the Spring Budget March 6, 2017 The countdown is nearly over – the Spring Budget is now just two days away. Britain's beer and spirits sector has been campaigning for weeks in a bid to urge chancellor Philip Hammond to cut the beer duty while the industry grapples with cost pressures from rocketing business rates and increases to the national minimum wage. Here's [...]
Hammond vows to fight back against bad Brexit deal as he plots vision for Britain’s high-tech future March 6, 2017 Ahead of his first full Budget, chancellor Philip Hammond has vowed the government would fight back against a Brexit deal that doesn't deliver for Britain, insisting the country will not be left licking its wounds after negotiations. Hammond warned the European Union of the UK's "fighting spirit" and said the country will not "slink off as [...]
The BCC is demanding action over mounting business rate concerns March 6, 2017 Almost 40 per cent of UK firms are more concerned about business rates than three months ago, according to new research. Figures from the British Chambers of Commerce show that business rates (39 per cent) were second only to exchange rates (42 per cent) in the number of firms reporting increased worries. And among small [...]
Bullish Hammond warns the UK will “fight back” if unable to secure a Brexit deal March 5, 2017 Chancellor Philip Hammond has warned European member states the UK "has a fighting spirit" and will not "slink off as a wounded animal" if Brexit talks collapse. Prime Minister Theresa May will fire the starting gun on negotiations later this month, and Hammond today warned that Britain will do "whatever it takes" to remain competitive. [...]
Labour’s John McDonnell wants to force high-earners to publish their tax returns March 2, 2017 Labour's shadow chancellor John McDonnell has revealed new plans designed to improve trust in the UK's tax system, including forcing anyone earning over £1m to publish their tax returns. McDonnell announced the plans at a pre-Budget speech in London earlier today, adding that Labour also shares the widely-held goal of clamping down on tax avoidance. "Transparency and [...]