Ageing population: The UK’s average age has reached an all-time high as population grows at an above-average rate June 25, 2015 The UK is older than it has ever been before. Figures published today show the average age of the population now stands at 40 – the highest ever estimated. In 1974, the average person was a mere puppy, aged 33.9 years. Wales has the oldest population within the union at 42.1 years, while Northern [...]
If we cap immigration, the UK will lose its status as a global hub for science and engineering June 15, 2015 John O’Keefe, the UK’s latest Nobel Prize winner, has a lot in common with Venki Ramakrishnan, the next President of the Royal Society. First, they are similarly brilliant scientists and Nobel Laureates. O’Keefe was a joint winner last year for his discovery of cells that act as our inner GPS system, enabling us to [...]
Business says PM is giving the wrong answer on immigration June 10, 2015 Business groups roundly rejected the Prime Minister’s latest proposals to cut migration, saying they were “not the answer,” “far less business-friendly” and a “red herring” in the immigration debate. Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday, David Cameron said that the independent Migration Advisory Committee (Mac) was looking at proposals to cut non-European work migration, including [...]
What was in the 2015 Queen’s Speech, bill-by-bill May 28, 2015 A full employment and welfare benefits bill aiming to create 2m more jobs and 3m more apprenticeships An enterprise bill to cut red tape and help small and medium-sized businesses resolve late payment disputes A personal tax allowance bill raising the personal allowance to £12,500 and linking future increases to the minimum wage A finance bill [...]
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: 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: Everything we know so far including the EU referendum, devolution, Human Rights Act, income tax, housing and Scotland May 26, 2015 The Queen's Speech will unveil the Conservative government's policy agenda on Wednesday and having shed its coalition partner at the General Election, some pretty major shifts in policy are expected. Here are some of the top pledges expected to feature in the state opening of parliament tomorrow. EU referendum bill Having committed to holding an [...]
Business rejects PM’s crackdown on immigration May 21, 2015 BUSINESS organisations have roundly rejected the Prime Minister’s latest calls for immigration reform. David Cameron said yesterday that the Queen’s Speech would include an immigration bill cracking down not only on illegal foreign workers, but also on the landlords, banks and employers who aid them. The Prime Minister also said that he would not “cave in” and [...]
Why it’s highly unlikely that David Cameron’s immigration crackdown will work May 21, 2015 The government yesterday unveiled its latest plan to crack down on illegal immigration, by making it significantly less attractive for people to remain in the UK, working illegally. To achieve this, it is proposing to introduce a new criminal offence – “illegal working” – together with plans to seize the wages of those working illegally. [...]
UK immigration: These charts show how net migration has increased, where migrants are coming from and why they migrate May 21, 2015 Just as Prime Minister David Cameron outlined his stance on tackling immigration, figures were published showing net long-term migration to the UK last year rose to the highest level in nearly a decade, reaching an estimated 318,000 over the 12 months. In total 641,000 people immigrated to the UK, up from 526,000 the previous [...]