Businesses face being hit by £2.4bn national insurance ‘tax bombshell’, Lib Dems warn October 25, 2021 The Government is creating a “tax bombshell” for small and medium-sized businesses by raising national insurance, the Liberal Democrats warned. Research commissioned by the party said businesses with fewer than 250 employees would pay an extra £2.4bn a year due to the 1.25 per cent rise in national insurance (NI) announced by Boris Johnson in [...]
Pizza Express and IHG back calls for VAT freeze October 24, 2021 More than 200 hospitality bosses have called on the Chancellor to freeze VAT for the sector at 12.5 per cent. CEOs of big names including Stonegate, Pizza Express and IHG Hotels, have urged Rishi Sunak to announce a permanent reduced rate on the Budget on October 27. They said businesses need more support to fully [...]
Hiring ex-convicts to fill shortages could fight prejudice in the workforce October 22, 2021 Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab delighted us with some rare wisdom yesterday. To fill in the pressing labour shortages that have been dominating the news agenda recently, Raab suggested employing ex-convicts. The haulage and food factory sectors are only some of the industries affected by shortages that could welcome ex-offenders as part of their workforce. [...]
Form Ventures closes £30m new fund to support startups navigating regulated sectors October 21, 2021 Venture capital firm Form Ventures, which aims to help startups navigate regulatory and policy issues as they scale, has today closed its second fund at its target size of £30m. British Business Bank was the fund’s cornerstone investor and was joined by several notable backers including Isomer Capital and Draper Espirit. Form plans to invest [...]
Most Brits don’t think they are paid ‘what they are worth’ but asking for a raise pays off October 21, 2021 Most people don’t believe they’re being paid what they think ‘they are worth’ to do their current jobs. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, the longer it’s been since they last received a pay rise, then the more inclined they are to feel this way. CIPHR polled 1,005 British adults to discover more about how employees perceive their [...]
Chancellor to tighten belt despite tax windfall October 21, 2021 Despite the Chancellor receiving a windfall from the government’s fiscal watchdog raising its forecasts for the economy, he will not use the extra wriggle room renege on tax hikes at next week’s budget. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will upgrade its forecasts for UK economic growth to around seven per cent next Wednesday, up [...]
UK seal post-Brexit New Zealand trade deal in stepping stone to CPTPP ascension October 20, 2021 The UK has agreed to a free trade deal with New Zealand in what is another key stepping stone to joining the 11-country Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trading bloc. Boris Johnson announced today that the deal would see UK markets opened up to New Zealand agricultural products as tariffs are slashed [...]
London’s Satellite Vu bags £15m in Series A as it plots to decarbonise the housing sector October 20, 2021 London-based space tech scale-up Satellite Vu has raised £15m in Series A funding, as it readies plans to launch seven thermal and infrared imaging satellites into orbit. The satellites will be able to provide real-time data on how green, or energy efficient, every building on the planet is – as the UK seeks to decarbonise [...]
Firms lure in fresh talent with non-financial perks over pay rises, says Indeed October 20, 2021 Employers are increasingly luring in fresh talent with non-financial perks instead of pay rises, according to new data. After more than 18-months of pandemic trading, firms have been offering flexible working hours, private medical and dental insurance, childcare arrangements and extra holiday against the backdrop of a tough hiring environment. While 47 per cent HR [...]
Will users of digital assets need traditional custody providers? October 19, 2021 The ability to hold data in a very structured manner means that machines can easily track and trace who owns what, and where the assets are held, in ‘real-time’, writes Jonny Fry.