Queen’s Speech 2015: Let’s hope the Tories are saving the radicalism for the Budget May 27, 2015 We were told we’d never see such a sight again. Majorities were a thing of the past, they said, and coalition politics was here to stay. And yet there it was yesterday – resplendent in all the finery and pageantry that the British state can muster – a legislative programme for a majority Tory government. [...]
FTSE bounces back on round of acquisitions – London Report May 27, 2015 BRITAIN’S top share index bounced back yesterday from a two-week low the day before as acquisitions boosted Imperial Tobacco, cement maker CRH and International Consolidated Airlines Group. The blue-chip index extended gains in late trade on the prospect of an accord between Greece and its creditors after a Greek government official told Reuters that a [...]
Queen’s Speech 2015: Here’s everything that was said about the EU referendum, employment, tax, the Human Rights Act and Scottish devolution May 27, 2015 The EU referendum is on; taxes will be locked in at current levels and strike laws are being reformed. The Queen's Speech has come to an end, and we have been presented with the legislation the government intends to pursue over the coming parliamentary session. While global cooperation, reducing the deficit and sticking to the [...]
Queen’s Speech 2015: New parliament debates Queen’s Speech May 27, 2015 The new parliament has commenced its first debate, with new plans for legislation announced in the Queen's Speech due to be discussed. The new session was opened by the commons speaker John Bercow while MP Simon Burns kicked off proceedings with the humble address and MP Sheryll Murray seconding the address. Burns cracked jokes at [...]
Queen’s Speech 2015: Business community and others react to announcements on immigration, housing, employment, tax, Scotland and English devolution May 27, 2015 The Queen's Speech – the first full-Tory state opening of Parliament since 1996 – has come and gone. But what is the business community making of it all? Here are the best reactions so far. On the tax lock: Chas Roy-Chowdhury, head of tax at the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants says: “This is a [...]
Queen’s Speech 2015: Here’s the full transcript May 27, 2015 My Lords and members of the House of Commons. My government will legislate in the interests of everyone in our country. It will adopt a one nation approach, helping working people get on, supporting aspiration, giving new opportunities to the most disadvantaged and bringing different parts of our country together. My government will [...]
ING cuts stake in investment firm NN in line with 2008 bailout deal May 26, 2015 Dutch banking giant ING last night cut its stake in NN, an insurance and investment management company. ING has agreed to sell 45m shares at €24.46 per share, making the sale worth €1.1bn (£780m). The deal slashes ING’s stake in NN from 54.8 per cent to 42.4 per cent. NN said it would purchase 5.9m shares, valued at [...]
New government sets its agenda May 26, 2015 Lauren Fedor previews what we can expect from today’s Queen’s Speech PRIME Minister David Cameron has said that today’s Queen’s Speech will set out his government’s vision for a “one nation” country “of security and opportunity for everyone, at every life stage”. But what exactly does that mean? What legislative proposals can we expect the speech [...]
Cabbies protest at TfL and Uber May 26, 2015 VICTORIA was brought to a standstill as London’s black cab drivers staged a protest yesterday afternoon. The group that organised it was the breakaway United Cabbies Group. At the protest, its chairman Len Martin insisted that the demonstration was aimed at Transport for London (TfL), for what the group consider the body’s failure to ignore [...]
Solvency II driving deals May 26, 2015 SHARES in investment group Randall & Quilter (R&Q) went up by 6.22 per cent yesterday after the company announced a £17m deal to buy IC Insurance from AstraZeneca and Imperial Chemicals Industries. R&Q boss Ken Randall said the deal was one of a number of transactions the firm is looking at where a parent is [...]