Everyone knows that the Greek economy is in meltdown and has been for some time. Frankly it is a scandal that Greece was ever allowed into the Euro. At the time everyone knew that the figures provided could not be right, but unlike the story of the Emperor’s New Clothes, there was no little boy [...]
Before I continue let me make it clear that the above is not an accusation but a genuine question, and one which I think needs to be answered urgently. By now there can be few people who have not heard that Sir Paul Stephenson, the Commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police force, resigned last night. In [...]
Anyone with even a passing interest in the relationship between politician and newspaper publishers has knows for many months that it was only a matter of time before the inept cover up of the illegal practices carried on by, or on behalf of, the News of the World would unravel. So it has proven this [...]
There is nothing on Earth quite like the Isle of Man TT Races. They capture the imagination in a way no other race can and the sheer spectacle and uniqueness ensure that every May and June many thousands of fans flock to the Island – many with their own bikes – to revel in the [...]
One of the reasons that you won’t often find me commenting on US tax issues is that the US government have a lot of very nasty laws that they are prepared to use on anyone they think might be encouraging their citizens to evade or even just avoid tax – even though tax avoidance is [...]
It’s over a year now since I pointed out that it is actually in the best interest of the British taxpayer for banks (or any other business) to pay large bonuses to their staff. It isn’t hard to see why this should be so and so I’m rather surprised that neither the media nor Government [...]
On Monday the Institute of Directors (IoD) launched the first ever Corporate Governance Guidance and Principles for Unlisted Companies in the UK. Unlisted companies make a major contribution to UK economic growth and employment. However, the corporate governance needs of unlisted companies have, to date, been relatively neglected by governance experts as well as by [...]
It has been obvious for many months now that the Irish economy was in deep, deep trouble and no one really believed that the Irish government could possibly manage to get the country out of the mess without the sort of help that Greece was forced to accept earlier this year. So it is that [...]
The Institute of Directors (IoD) today publishes the results of a survey of its members on the administrative burdens that the tax system imposes on them. The picture is much gloomier than that painted by last Friday’s World Bank survey, which placed the UK fourth for ease of paying taxes. The IoD argues for specific [...]
I think most people accept that the comments made by Lord Young, that the majority of UK citizens had “never had it so good” were in fact true. Despite the recession most people are benefitting from low interest rates but if you are one of the hundreds of thousands of people who have lost or [...]
If you have decided to start your own business as a self-employed sole trader (perhaps having read Choosing the Structure for Your Business) then you might think that you have nothing else to do apart from finding some work and getting paid when you have done it. Unfortunately it isn’t quite as simple as that, [...]
As more businesses take steps to move their tax residence from the UK and as many workers in the financial sector leave these shores because of high levels of personal tax, the UK Chancellor must urgently review the competitiveness of the UK tax system or risk prolonging the recession. Almost all commentators, economists and tax [...]
In recognition of the increase in life expectancy which we all know will have a serious effect on the UK economy – people will draw retirement benefit for longer and will need more health care for example – the government has proposed to abolish the Default Retirement Age (“DRA”) of 65. On the surface there [...]
Is offshore banking legal? This is a question often asked these days, as various nations seek to clamp down on offshore tax havens and offshore banking. And while such banking may raise eyebrows in certain quarters, or invite disapproving comments from politicians seeking to balance budgets and maximise tax revenue, the fact is banking offshore [...]
In a new paper contributing to the debate about higher education funding, the Institute of Directors (IoD) argues that a graduate tax is the wrong policy solution and would damage the UK’s tax competitiveness. Nor would it solve the problem of widening participation. The IoD urges the Government to opt for an extension of the [...]
The last Labour government introduced the Time to Train scheme which enabled any employee with more than 26 weeks service to request time off work to undertake training of any sort. Whilst on the surface that seems reasonable in practice the new right raised a lot of issues not the least being the fear that if a [...]
We live in momentous times. Everything is changing – and a lot faster than you think. The old rules no longer apply. The institutions and traditions you take for granted are faltering. In fact, beneath the surface of what appears on the daily TV news is a much more disturbing story – one which you [...]
Before the general election the business community made it clear that from their point of view the three areas of prime importance that any new government had to address were Deficit Reduction, School Competition, and Regulatory Reform. They expected action on these during the first 100 days of a new government so as to demonstrate [...]
I think it’s imperative that people get off their butts and travel. I say this because I believe the old dictum that travel broadens the mind. And what this world needs more than anything else right now is “mind broadening”. Travelling to a country gives you a chance to experience life as others live it, [...]
After ten years of negotiation the three “nuclear nations” – the United States, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union – signed a Treaty prohibiting all test detonations of nuclear weapons except those carried out underground. The Treaty was developed both to slow the arms race (nuclear testing necessary for continued nuclear weapon development), and to [...]
