Autumn Statement 2015: George Osborne’s speech transcript in full including stamp duty, business rates and corporation tax announcements November 25, 2015 Mr Speaker, this Spending Review delivers on the commitment we made to the British people that we would put security first. To protect our economic security, by taking the difficult decisions to live within our means and bring down our debt. To protect our national security, by defending our country’s interests abroad and keeping our [...]
Autumn Statement and Comprehensive Spending Review 2015: Housing set to dominate – as well as what time it starts, how to watch it and what will be in it November 25, 2015 Later today George Osborne will take to the despatch box to give his combined Autumn Statement and Comprehensive Spending Review. George Osborne has already tweeted the front cover of the document, saying it will "deliver economic and national security – the foundations of everything we do". Today's Spending Review will deliver economic and national security – the [...]
George Osborne’s National Living Wage will make it harder to hire, say 77 per cent of UK’s small and medium-sized businesses November 19, 2015 More than two-thirds of small businesses in the UK say the introduction of the living wage will impact their ability to hire. Britain’s SMEs say they are already struggling to find staff, and 77 per cent fear the living wage will make it harder, according to research from job site Indeed. The National Living Wage [...]
Global Terrorism Index 2015 mapped: Terror attack deaths and economic cost hit an all-time high as UK is hardest hit of any EU country November 17, 2015 The world is counting the cost of terrorism more than ever before in terms of both its economic impact and lives lost, new research reveals, as Europe continues to reel from France’s worst ever peace-time attack. The economic impact of terrorism across the globe reached $52.9bn (£34.8bn) in 2014, rocketing 60 per cent on the [...]
EU referendum: Will Brexit make you happier? It depends on whether you’re frightened by freedom November 11, 2015 Most analyses of the impact of a potential Brexit from the EU naturally focus on the economic costs and benefits as a proportion of GDP. But what about the potential impact on subjective well-being or life satisfaction? Would Brexit make people happier? The answer will of course be found in the revealed preference on the [...]
CBI conference: Tesco boss Dave Lewis urges Tories to consult more with retail industry – taking side-swipe at policies ranging from apprenticeship levy to Living Wage November 9, 2015 "Drastic Dave" Lewis has called on the government to pay more attention to the retail industry when adopting new measures, taking a swipe at key Tory policies ranging from the apprenticeship levy to the Living Wage. Speaking at today's CBI conference, the Tesco boss suggested that government did not allow retailers enough of a say [...]
I let myself be hacked by an ethical hacker and this is what I learned about cybersecurity November 4, 2015 Let me tell you this: it’s quite a disconcerting feeling to sign a form agreeing to let a hacker break into all your personal data. Even when it’s an ethical one. I’d agreed to let cybersecurity expert Ollie Whitehouse do his worst, and access as much of my information online as possible. But waiting to [...]
Nightmare on Elm Street? It is if you’re trying to sell a property there… October 30, 2015 Freddy Krueger struck fear into many an '80s child's heart over the course of a whopping nine films, but it seems the Nightmare on Elm Street lingers on. That is, at least, if you're one of those unfortunate people trying to sell their home on a street carrying the now-infamous address, because according to one [...]
Cameron’s kowtow: Submission is not the route to success in China October 22, 2015 It was 2012 when I was first asked to make a bribe in China, just shy of a year after moving there. On the counsel of a business licence consultant, I was “advised” to offer remuneration to a mid-ranking member of the local Communist Party Neighbourhood Committee for swaying a potential decision in our favour. [...]
Best of the Brokers for 21 October 2015 October 21, 2015 To appear in Best of the Brokers, email your research to notes@cityam.com POUNDLAND Investec has initiated coverage of Poundland with a “hold” rating and a target price of 300p. The broker said near-term profit benefits from the integration of 99p Stores are expected to return Poundland to 20 per cent growth or more in 2017 [...]