UK mortgage approvals beat expectations as housing market reopens July 29, 2020 UK mortgage approvals beat expectations and rocketed in June as the housing market reopened from the coronavirus lockdown, the latest figures have shown. The number of mortgages approved by UK banks rose to 40,000 in June after May’s record crash to just 9,300, the Bank of England said today. Analysts had predicted a rise to [...]
Rishi Sunak’s deputy says targeted relief an option after furlough scheme ends July 28, 2020 Treasury minister Steve Barclay has ruled out extending the government’s furlough scheme past October, but left the door open for targeted relief to some sectors. The scheme is due to end on 31 October, with government payments decreased in September and October. Barclay said today that there would be no extension to the scheme, echoing [...]
Treasury unveils plan to speed up delivery of government projects July 28, 2020 Treasury minister Steve Barclay has unveiled the government’s plan to make his department “the new radicals” and transform Whitehall’s decision making processes. Barclay told centre-right think tank Onward today that the Treasury would become more like a Silicon Valley company by ensuring public sector projects operate at greater speed and by using better data to [...]
UK tax rises: How will Rishi Sunak pay down the coronavirus deficit? July 28, 2020 Rishi Sunak’s first five months as chancellor has seen him shower the UK economy with hundreds of billions of pounds, helping make him the most popular government figure. However, talk has already turned to the ballooning deficit – predicted to be around £350bn this year – and how to reduce it to more manageable levels. [...]
A digital tax is no way to reward our innovative online retailers July 28, 2020 Throughout lockdown, the advantages — indeed, the essentiality — of online retail became clear. Now, Rishi Sunak is rumoured to be mulling over a new online sales tax. Advocates for this new tax, such as SportsDirect owner Mike Ashley and Tesco boss Dave Lewis, believe that the existing business rates system creates an uneven playing [...]
UK retail sales bounce back as shops reopen from lockdown July 28, 2020 UK retail sales bounced back in July after “non-essential” shops were reopened, according to a closely watched gauge that hit its highest level since April last year. The CBI’s measure of retail sales volumes rebounded to a score of four in July from minus 37 in June. It indicated that sales grew slightly compared to [...]
Stamp duty cut sees London house sales rocket 27 per cent July 28, 2020 The stamp duty holiday has significantly boosted London’s housing market, with new sales agreed up by over a quarter in just two weeks, new data has shown. UK house prices rose 0.2 per cent in June as a jump in demand for houses outstripped a fall in the number of sellers, the figures also showed. [...]
Retail footfall dips as face coverings become mandatory in English stores July 27, 2020 Retail footfall dipped slightly at the end of last week as face coverings became mandatory in English stores. Visitor numbers at retail destinations in England fell 1.7 per cent on Friday and Saturday. On Friday it became compulsory to wear a face covering in shops in England. However it is too early to identify the [...]
Oak Furnitureland to cut 160 jobs amid store closures July 27, 2020 Oak Furnitureland is preparing to permanently close 27 showrooms, putting 163 employees at risk of redundancy in the latest blow for the UK retail industry. The furniture retailer, which was bought by investment firm Davidson Kempner Capital Management last month, said adverse trading conditions after the coronavirus lockdown had forced it to close stores. All [...]
Rishi Sunak mulls online sales tax for e-commerce retailers July 27, 2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak is mulling a new tax on online retail sales to ease pressure on the struggling UK high street. In a call for evidence published last week the Treasury sought industry views on a potential online sales tax for e-commerce retailers to help physical stores compete. The tax, which would exist alongside business [...]