The Hundred: Rowdy fans see Lord’s authorities ditch BYOB policy August 2, 2021 Lord’s isn’t just the home of cricket – it is also cricket’s most liberal venue when it comes to bringing in your own drinks. Test matches at Lord’s are famous for picnics and the sound of champagne corks popping just after the clock strikes midday. That policy – allowing fans to bring in a small [...]
UK jobs market recovery accelerates on better than expected consumer spending August 2, 2021 The UK jobs market recovery is accelerating as a stronger than expected rebound in consumer spending is encouraging firms to take on staff, according to new figures released today. Research published by Lloyds Bank shows the proportion of UK businesses expecting to ramp up hiring rose to 18 per cent, a sixth consecutive monthly increase [...]
The City has a duty to prevent people from lower socio-economic backgrounds falling behind August 2, 2021 With traditional ways of working being upended by the pandemic, employers and employees across all industries are looking to reinvent their sector and address historic challenges. For the financial and professional services sector, a key part of this journey has to be achieving a more diverse and inclusive workplace. Focusing on increasing diversity in the [...]
Tory donors warn Boris Johnson that tax rises will kill off economic recovery August 1, 2021 Prominent Tory donors have urged Boris Johnson not to implement tax rises this autumn as they fear it could hamper the post-Covid economic recovery. Johnson and Rishi Sunak are expected to soon announce a 1 per cent increase in National Insurance in a bid to fix gaps in the health and social care sectors. Sunak [...]
Sunday Read: Bank of England’s QE programme has muddied the water between right and wrong August 1, 2021 “The problem with QE is it works in practice but it doesn’t work in theory,” an often quoted joke said by former Fed chair Ben Bernanke. But, some are testing that hypothesis. The backdrop to Thursday’s Bank of England meeting is much more unforgiving than previous ones. A House of Lords committee recently accused the [...]
Paying tax sooner – HMRC wants its money faster July 30, 2021 What are the challenges and advantages of paying tax closer to real-time? HMRC calls for evidence and ICAS responds. Nobody is likely to volunteer to pay tax sooner, unless it would earn interest at a competitive rate perhaps. But knowing what your tax liability is, and when you need to pay it, as close to [...]
Strict new cybersecurity requirements could burst China’s tech bubble July 30, 2021 Covid has driven ubiquitous growth in digital services in nations as geographically far apart as the UK and China. London has seen massive tech IPOs this year with listings of Deliveroo, Alphawave and Wise. However, the sharp rise in digitalisation has brought an inevitable need for businesses to protect their networks, as vast swathes of [...]
New frontier: UK renews outdated space policies as giants seek commercial travel July 29, 2021 The UK is set to start regulating commercial space travel from today, as an increasing number of companies look to capitalise on the race to the stars. Before appointing its first-ever space travel regulator, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA), the global legal framework surrounding commercial space travel appeared a relic of the Cold [...]
Fabric Ventures announces $130m million fund to invest in digital assets and decentralisation July 29, 2021 Fabric Ventures, a venture manager that backs ‘open economy’ founders across the globe, today announced Europe’s biggest fund of its type, valued at $130 million, which includes $30 million from the European Investment Fund (EIF).
Exclusive: HMRC’s elite Offshore unit securing prison time for tax evaders trebled last year July 29, 2021 HMRC’s elite Offshore, Corporate and Wealthy (OCW) Unit secured convictions totalling 67 years of prison time for tax evaders last year, nearly trebling the total of just 23 years secured a year earlier. The increase in prison sentences is a sign that HMRC’s strategy of using targeted criminal investigations, rather than just civil penalties, as a [...]