We must help poor kids – not subsidise middle class parents September 17, 2013 Sometimes I despair at this government’s inconsistencies, internal contradictions and intellectual incoherence. It keeps telling us that it wants to save money to reduce the deficit, and then splashes out £600m on a new entitlement in the form of free school meals for all under-8s. Poor children are already eligible for free school meals, which [...]
Lib Dem lines to take for interviews – in full September 16, 2013 The Lib Dems appear to have given journalists their full lines to take for every interview: Five things to remember for every interview This conference sees the party in a confident mood We have a strong record of achievement in Government Our priorities are jobs and easing the squeeze on household budgets Labour cannot be [...]
Real estate jobs boom a worry – but labour market rebalancing September 16, 2013 IT is the fact of the day: those who work in real estate accounted for 23.05 per cent of the net jobs growth in the UK over the past year. In fact, 13 per cent of the 562,000 total jobs that now exist in “real estate activities” – which include a range of jobs, from [...]
Real estate jobs boom a worry – but labour market rebalancing September 11, 2013 IT is the fact of the day: those who work in real estate accounted for 23.05 per cent of the net jobs growth in the UK over the past year. In fact, 13 per cent of the 562,000 total jobs that now exist in “real estate activities” – which include a range of jobs, from [...]
TSB opens doors as bank prepares Lloyds spin off September 8, 2013 THE NEW TSB Bank will open its doors to customers this morning, as the spin-off from Lloyds Banking Group unveils its rebranded high-street sites. When it is fully sold off from Lloyds, the 632 branches will represent a new competitor on the high street and has pledged to focus on local, traditional retail banking. Its [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 09 September 2013 September 8, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES Capital warning from bank reformer The chief architect of Britain’s post-crisis regulatory reforms believes banks’ capital levels should be double the level recommended two years ago by the government-appointed commission that he led. Sir John Vickers told the Financial Times that in a “blue-skies” world banks’ core tier one capital ratios would now [...]
UK needs to stop deliberately inflating residential land prices August 25, 2013 MY column yesterday revealing that the French are building three times more homes than the British every year – an astonishing fact which highlights the gravity of our housing supply crisis – elicited a number of typical counter-arguments. The most common was that the French have plenty of land, and we don’t, so it isn’t [...]
Treasury looks to ease cost of living burden August 20, 2013 THE TREASURY is looking at ways to ease the cost of living, City A.M. understands, raising hopes that the Autumn Statement could see another round of tax cuts or freezes. After years of high inflation outstripping wage growth, the government has faced criticism for doing to little to ease the squeeze on living standards. As [...]
UK needs to stop deliberately inflating residential land prices August 14, 2013 MY column yesterday revealing that the French are building three times more homes than the British every year – an astonishing fact which highlights the gravity of our housing supply crisis – elicited a number of typical counter-arguments. The most common was that the French have plenty of land, and we don’t, so it isn’t [...]
Mark Carney’s policy has amplified political opportunity for the Tories August 11, 2013 NO REAL rock star has ever received such rave reviews for promising to do nothing for three years. But Mark Carney breaks the mould. The new Bank of England governor has pledged to keep interest rates at 0.5 per cent until 2016, unless the economy is threatened by “knockout” conditions. Keeping the taps of cheap [...]