Zac Goldsmith, Sadiq Khan or Caroline Pidgeon: Why the next mayor of London will be the candidate who puts renters first March 29, 2016 “This election is a referendum on housing”, Sadiq Khan has claimed. He's right – no section of London society has been let down as badly as its legion of renters. There are problems across the full scale of renting, not least with the dearth of affordable housing. The capital’s private lettings market is outdated, fragmented [...]
Buy to let investors scramble to secure home purchases before April stamp duty rise March 29, 2016 Buy to let investors are storming the housing market to beat higher taxes that will come into force in April. In February, 85 per cent of estate agents reported an increase in the number of buy to let investors looking to purchase properties, according to data released by the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) released [...]
EU referendum: Everyone on Twitter is laughing at education secretary Nicky Morgan’s speech on Brexit March 29, 2016 Education secretary Nicky Morgan gave a speech today that was presumably intended to rally young people around the government's Remain campaign in the run up to the EU referendum – but the reaction suggests her points fell a little wide of the mark. Morgan warned that the nation's young would be the most affected by a possible Brexit, but some [...]
Why Londoners should be wary about the Lifetime Isa March 29, 2016 Should you get a Lifetime Isa (Lisa) when they’re launched in April next year? On the face of it, definitely yes. Designed specifically for the under-40s, this new entrant to the growing Isa stable promises a government top-up of £1,000 if you contribute the maximum £4,000 in a tax year, no tax on capital growth [...]
Dints International’s Geoffrey de Mowbray talks crows, mines and why business is always the right tool for development March 29, 2016 School and me were never the best match. The problem was that I enjoyed breaking rules far more than I liked adhering to them,” says Geoffrey de Mowbray, founder of African mining supply chain provider Dints International, before adding, “I suppose my entrepreneurial nature shone through a bit even then”. By “a bit”, he means that, [...]
How innovation is transforming the property industry March 29, 2016 A wave of innovation is transforming Britain’s property industry. A younger generation of motivated millennials in their early to mid 20s is coming in, looking at the traditional ways that companies have been doing things and recognising that demand has moved on and people want something different – and increasingly more social – from real estate. [...]
Craft beer’s reputation as a “luxury” and “aspirational” item makes a successful brew in London March 29, 2016 The number of new breweries opening in London reached a new high in 2015, jumping 24 per cent from 29 new openings in 2014 to 36 last year due to its status as a "luxury" product. The boom in new openings in London contrasts with a slight slowdown across the rest of the UK, which decreased by [...]
Sophie Christiansen interview: Five-time Paralympic champion on why City banking job is vital to her success March 28, 2016 Coding statistical models at one of the City’s leading financial institutions is not everybody’s idea of downtime but for Great Britain dressage rider Sophie Christiansen it offers a therapeutic release from para-equestrian dominance. Christiansen is a five-time Paralympic champion, having claimed triple gold at Greenwich during London 2012 aboard her horse Janeiro 6, affectionately known [...]
Tech, media and telecoms executives concerned workforces won’t be able to keep up with technological advancements March 24, 2016 Technology, media and telecoms (TMT) executives are worried their workforces won't be able to keep up with technological advancements, according to a new report. PwC found TMT bosses are positive about the prospect of new developments driving revenue growth. But one of the top threats facing their growth prospects is a “shortage of tech-savvy skilled workers who can keep up with [...]
EU referendum: Business groups hit back at claims by Boris Johnson that business support for remaining in EU is not as strong as commonly thought March 23, 2016 Mayor of London Boris Johnson has said that business support for the European Union is not as zealous as people commonly think, in a clash with senior Tory MP Andrew Tyrie. Speaking to MPs, Johnson said that he is aware that organisations such as the CBI and the British Bankers Association are in favour of [...]