Was George Osborne’s last Budget before the General Election a winner for British savers? March 18, 2015 Iain McCluskey, tax director at PwC, says Yes This was a Budget for those who choose to, in George speak, fix their roof. With returns on savings sitting at miserable lows for most people, the chancellor had to innovate to try and encourage the country to save. He did this by using the Budget to [...]
Cricket Comment: Now Trott should open for country March 18, 2015 BATSMAN Jonathan Trott holds a proven record at international level so having a class player like him back in the squad for their three-Test tour of the Caribbean next month can only benefit England. There is going to be a lot of attention on his first return, having left the 2013-14 Ashes tour with a [...]
Budget 2015: Here are George Osborne’s best quotes plus his Budget speech in full March 18, 2015 George Osborne's final Budget during this parliament had few surprises but plenty of great quips, including – to the dismay of bookies everywhere – a quip about Ed Miliband's now-infamous second kitchen. Here's a selection of our favourites from today's big speech. (Source: Getty/City A.M.) (Source: Getty/City A.M) (Source: Getty/City A.M.) [...]
Budget 2015 summary: Analysts, economists and think tanks give their verdict on Osborne March 18, 2015 George Osborne delivered a Budget stacked with facts, figures and policies intended to ward off Labour's cost of living offensive and get the electorate on side before May the reactions are already flooding in. Here is a sampling of analysts' reactions to the final set-piece event of the coalition government. BNP Paribas' Dominic Bryant gives [...]
Who is Nigel Farage’s political soulmate? Meet senator Rand Paul March 18, 2015 Nigel Farage's new book – The Purple Revolution – gives the definitive inside account as to how a party once on the fringes of British politics came to be a major player on the national stage, told by the man who arguably made it all happen. Among the revelations of how Ukip managed to snag [...]
We are the Treasury DVDs starring Eds Miliband and Balls sent to Labour MPs March 17, 2015 Most of us have embarrassing old personal films, that remind us of things that we have done in the past. Home videos, clips from parties, that kind of thing. For Eds Miliband and Balls, one such film re-emerged yesterday, in the pigeonholes of their fellow Labour MPs. The film was aired in 1997 Envelopes [...]
Your cultural guide for spring 2015: Must-see theatre, film, music and visual arts events March 17, 2015 We pick out the must-see theatre, film, music and visual arts events that you just can’t miss, even if the heat wave arrives. FILM ANT-MAN 17 July Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish may have jumped ship, but there’s still plenty to look forward to with the upcoming release of Ant-Man. Paul Rudd leads [...]
Lessons from flexible workspaces March 17, 2015 Even established companies can re-create the environments that let startups thrive. For years, truly modern workspaces were the sole domain of Californian tech giants such as Google and Facebook. Smaller businesses were resigned to drab serviced offices or onerous, equally uninspiring, fixed leases. But with more innovative workspaces opening across the capital, London’s small [...]
Budget 2015: George Osborne has failed to face up to Britain’s long-term fiscal challenges March 16, 2015 We know a lot about tomorrow’s Budget from George Osborne’s TV appearances over the weekend. He will announce “a Budget for the long term” that will “raise living standards”. It will be a balanced Budget that avoids the problems of the previous government, which “got itself into trouble with unfunded promises”. To satisfy the chancellor’s [...]
Lancaster: England can not take France lightly March 16, 2015 ENGLAND head coach Stuart Lancaster has vowed not to underestimate rivals France ahead of their crunch Six Nations title decider at Twickenham on Saturday. The championship could well be determined on points difference for the second successive year, with England currently holding a slender advantage over reigning champions Ireland, who conclude their programme against Scotland. [...]