The Taxpayers Association of Europe (TAE) has hit out at the recently announced new rules for MEPs air travel, which are to be introduced after the June 2009 election is out of the way. TAE president Rolf von Hohenhau, declared that MEPs should only be able to claim reimbursement for the actual price paid for [...]
A shock announcement in the small print of this year’s budget has left thousands of UK farmers and second home owners reeling at the loss of tax breaks without which they may have to sell up. Not a good thing in a falling market. But it could benefit owners of foreign holiday property. Buried deep [...]
During World War Two the Czechs and the Poles came to the rescue of Britain and ultimately of Europe, making a great contribution to the war effort. It looks like they may save us all again! There is no doubt that without Polish and Czech pilots fighting with the RAF during the Battle of Britain, [...]
The UK Labour government has a well earned reputation for timing announcements it knows will be unpopular to coincide with major new stories so that the bad news gets buried. Remember the infamous memo on 9/11 “[today] is a very good day to get out anything we want to bury” sent by Jo Moore, advisor [...]
So, according to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, “I take full responsibility for what happened – that is why the person that was responsible went immediately.” Leaving aside the fractured English doesn’t that mean he, Gordon Brown, has resigned? Clearly not. Brown used the “S” word on TV from Glasgow, where the Cabinet was meeting. As [...]
Whilst Gordon Brown, Alastair Darling and Barack Obama attack the Isle of Man as a “Tax Havens” the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development) praise the Isle of Man. If proof were ever needed that the bully boys of the UK and USA are attacking small offshore countries just to divert attention from their [...]
The Bank of England today announced that it was commencing a programme of “Quantitative Easing” designed to stimulate the economy. For a few weeks now the term quantitative easing has been bandied about. Sometimes this is also referred to as “printing money”. Now I don’t know about you but I can’t see why just printing [...]
Despite the Prime Minister hailing it as a success, it emerged over the weekend that only about £12 Million of the £1 Billion government loan guarantee scheme has actually been lent to companies. Last week Gordon Brown sought to defend the government’s record on helping business by repeatedly citing the £1bn loan guarantee scheme as [...]
Well there are a few people like me who think he never had the plot to start with. In all honesty since the moment he got into 11 Downing Street as Chancellor the man has been nothing but a total disaster zone. I really found it hard to credit how the media could promote him [...]
The British Treasury has set up an independent review to examine the operations of offshore financial centres and their effect on the UK economy. The review will look at the current and future risks posed by the current economic crisis to the financial business of British Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories including Jersey, Guernsey, the [...]
On Wednesday of this week European politicians voted to scrap the UK’s long running opt-out from the Working Time Directive which limits the working week to an average of 48 hours. Despite the wishes of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Business Secretary (and former EU Commissioner (Lord) Peter Mandelson) several Labour MEPs voted to [...]
As Chancellor Mr Brown kept telling everyone how successful Britain’s economy was under his stewardship and as Prime Minister he tells us that because of him Britain is in a better position than other countries to weather the credit crunch. Not only have I never believed him but now it seems that his successor as [...]
Well what other conclusion can you come to when a senior opposition MP is arrested, held for nine hours, and has his home and offices searched by anti-terrorism Police simply for doing his job? What was his crime? Embarrassing the Labour Government! Strictly speaking Mr Green was arrested on suspicion of “conspiring to commit misconduct [...]
David Cameron has called for Gordon Brown to cut the red tape surrounding government contracts to allow smaller, newer firms to win business. The Conservative leader says less than one in five contracts from the government goes to small firms and this should be changed as it is responsible for buying goods and services [...]
I enjoy watching Question Time on the BBC each Thursday. It can be amusing and entertaining usually because of the crass stupidity of some of the panellists. I don’t object to politicians and celebrities displaying their ignorance and political bias as at least it helps us make an informed opinion about them, but sometimes they [...]
As of today’s date 24 MPs have signed an Early Day Motion which on the face of it is supportive of small businesses but in actual fact is totally pointless. In fact it could be evidence, if such is needed, that MPs really have no idea of the realities of business life. The motion reads: [...]
For years now the European Union severely limited the ability of national governments to reduce VAT rates – which fact seemed to have escaped Tony Blair who promised cuts during the 1997 General Election though he “found out” later. Good excuse not to keep your manifesto promises eh? However following a meeting earlier this month [...]
As small businesses struggle to obtain funds to continue in business the UK Government continue to announce initiatives which are more spin than substance. The motive for the Treasury making available £400bn of taxpayer support last month was to prevent the collapse of the banking system. Quite right too, but anyone who thinks it was [...]
What can you think when you realise that the chairman of the International Business Advisory Council – charged with safeguarding London’s pre-eminence as a business centre – is about to move his own HQ to Ireland? Such is the position of Sir Martin Sorrell, head of advertising conglomerate WPP, who announced last week that he [...]
Robert Peston, the BBC’s business editor, is coming under fire for his many “scoops” which according to critics helped fuel the flames of the banking crisis and led to the collapse of Northern Rock, Bradford & Bingley and HBOS. Before joining the BBC in 2006 Peston was a successful journailist working for the Financial Times, [...]
