Individuals rush to sell assets as capital gains tax bill rockets to £10.1bn December 23, 2020 The UK’s capital gains tax (CGT) bill has hit £10.1bn, up more than fourfold from £2.5bn a decade earlier, prompting people to sell their assets. Despite the increase of nearly £7.5bn in a decade, more CGT could be demanded from the taxpayer. The Office for Tax Simplification recently recommended the Chancellor increase CGT rates in [...]
Royal Mail settles industrial dispute over pay and operational changes December 22, 2020 Royal Mail has reached an agreement with its largest union, the Communication Workers Union after a two year dispute over strategy and pay. “Royal Mail and CWU have committed to rebalance our focus and resources from the declining letters to the rapidly growing parcels marketing, creating a more efficient business that is better aligned to [...]
PM ‘hoping to avoid’ post-Christmas lockdown December 18, 2020 Boris Johnson has not ruled out a post-Christmas lockdown following a surge in infections driven by London and the South East. In a visit to Bolton, the Prime Minister failed to eliminate the prospect of following Wales and Northern Ireland into lockdown after Christmas. “Obviously, we’re hoping very much that we’ll be able to avoid [...]
Liverpool v Spurs and Call of Duty drive highest internet data record December 18, 2020 Average household internet usage has increased by 50 per cent this year according to data by internet provider TalkTalk. And December 16 saw the highest ever data usage peak of 7.63Tb/s on the network, with traffic largely driven by a combination of football including Liverpool vs Spurs on Amazon Prime and the release of Call of Duty. [...]
The Mandalorian Season 2, Episode 8 – S2E8 finale is pure Star Wars brilliance December 18, 2020 *** SPOILERS AHEAD: If you haven’t watched the most recent episodes of The Mandalorian Season 2, look away now*** So here we are at the end of season two, with The Mandalorian having been largely successful in its second season efforts. The show has managed to raise the stakes while not losing the episodic nature [...]
Michel Barnier: ‘Just a few hours left’ to seal Brexit deal December 18, 2020 Michel Barnier has said there are “just a few hours” left to seal a deal with the UK, as he issued a stark warning to the European Parliament about Brexit talks. The EU’s chief negotiator said the possibility of a deal “is here”, but the path to secure it “is very narrow”. “It’s the moment of [...]
Amazon circles Post Office as it loosens ties with Royal Mail December 18, 2020 Amazon and Hermes are in talks to handle the Post Office’s packages, in a potentially major boost for Britain’s 11,500 branches. The Post Office yesterday revealed it had signed its first “non-exclusivity” deal with Royal Mail, in a move that will loosen ties that have been in place for hundreds of years. Silicon Valley giant [...]
As we look back on 2020, what can we learn from this unprecedented year? December 18, 2020 The end of any year is traditionally a time of reflection. It’s a chance to take stock and look back on the past 12 months: the successes, the lessons, and the opportunities for improvement. And while other traditions like the office Christmas party have been replaced by virtual events, taking time to step back and [...]
Sole rights: Michael Gove pushes for UK sovereignty over fishing waters in Brexit talks December 17, 2020 The UK is not prepared to sign a trade deal with the EU unless British fishermen have “sole rights” to fishing waters around the isle, Michael Gove has confirmed. Speaking at a meeting on the future relationship with the EU, Gove said it is the UK’s “intention” that British fishermen will have exclusive access to [...]
Ads giant WPP turns to tech to restore growth after accounting error December 17, 2020 WPP, the world's biggest advertising company, set out its plans to restore revenue growth to pre-pandemic levels by 2022.