London average hits £440k: First-time buyers in for a shock as house prices for newcomers rise £24 per day May 18, 2022 While celebrities can often be seen splashing millions of pounds on their first homes, the average first-time buyer (FTB) is spending £223,751 on their first property. In fact, the average FTB needs to find £43,623 more than they did in 2016 to secure their first own property, a 24 per cent increase, according to data [...]
England training squad offers glimpse into potential fresh look May 17, 2022 When England head coach Eddie Jones announced his 36-man squad yesterday for a three-day training cap next week, eyebrows were raised. This is not a binding squad for the imminent three-Test series against his native Australia, but it points to Jones’s thinking ahead of the last summer tour before his final World Cup. The squad [...]
London Irish look to win first top flight silverware in 20 years May 17, 2022 London Irish could lift their first piece of top-flight silverware since 2002 when they take on Worcester Warriors in the Premiership Rugby Cup tonight. Back then – against Northampton Saints in the Powergen Cup – it was the likes of Brendan Venter, Paul Sackey and Glenn Delaney. Now it’s centurion Wallaby Rob Simmons, Fijian powerhouse [...]
Letters: Putting it bluntly on cannabis May 17, 2022 [Re: Sadiq Khan could be leading the way in deserting the foolish war on drugs, yesterday] It is right to say the war on drugs is being lost by the government and police. Every city estate in the country has a problem, visible or invisible. One woman in my estate, in a leafy green area [...]
The Breach review: Intriguing plot which lacks pace May 16, 2022 The Breach has incredibly lofty ambitions, attempting to tackle many of the issues that keep us awake at night. Suicide, PTSD and the trauma of war, ideas about friendship in light of sexual assault and consent. It’s weighty stuff, but the individual parts just aren’t stitched together in a way that makes for engaging theatre. [...]
Why big firms are rarely toppled by scandals May 16, 2022 Everyone makes mistakes. And that includes the world’s biggest companies, which are reliably prone to gaffes, errors of judgment and wrongdoing. Some of these moments could even be labelled as corporate scandals – the kind of incident which shoves firms into the spotlight and places their activities under detailed public scrutiny. But do these events [...]
We must take responsibility and encourage equity of progression in financial services May 16, 2022 We live in an uneven – some might say unfair – society where equity of progression has been long out of reach for those who need it most. In last week’s Queen’s Speech, the government outlined steps to address this – including the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, as well as related legislation to quash [...]
Bank of England independence must remain no matter the political weather May 16, 2022 When Gordon Brown summoned then-governor of the Bank of England Eddie George to his office at the Treasury in 1997, the man in charge at Threadneedle Street was accompanied by a young civil servant – one Andrew Bailey. At that meeting, George – and presumably Bailey – were surprised to be told that the newly [...]
London’s housing supply is not fit for purpose, and we need a bit of bravery to fix it May 16, 2022 The housing market in London is extremely hard to navigate. Students looking for a flat to rent with two or three friends often have to give up on the idea of a living room for reasons of price. Older couples who might want to relocate after the kids have moved out often don’t, because there’s [...]
Road tax ‘fairer and more popular than fuel duty’ May 15, 2022 SMF calls for fuel duty to overhauled, and suggest a levy based on miles driven, which would be 'fairer' and more 'popular'.