A sharing economy must be a trusting economy April 18, 2015 Husayn Kassai is CEO and Co-Founder of Onfido. Trust is the foundation stone of all transactions. We traditionally rely on meeting people and building trust over time, but in an on-demand world, we don’t have the luxury of being able to wait. We’re moving from a world where people tend to know each other and interact with a [...]
“I will miss Top Gear” – Jeremy Clarkson April 18, 2015 Jeremy Clarkson has used his Sun column to say he will miss his job hosting Top Gear. It is the first time Clarkson has written a column since he was booted off the programme for allegedly punching a producer, during a “fracas”. He said: Heartfelt thanks to all those who have written to say how [...]
Ed Miliband would reintroduce the 50p tax rate within weeks April 18, 2015 Ed Miliband would reintroduce the 50p tax rate within weeks if he wins the General Election. According to information gained by The Times, in addition to the change to the top income tax rate, Miliband will also demand more powers for Downing Street. These actions are among several included in a list of draft bills [...]
Is Labour weighing up a coalition with the Liberal Democrats? April 18, 2015 Labour party wonks have been scrutinising details of the Liberal Democrat manifesto, looking for common ground on which to broker a deal – if the General Election results in a hung parliament. The belief among some of Ed Miliband’s allies is that there is a significant overlap between the two parties’ policies, which would allow [...]
Would raising the minimum wage really attract too many immigrants, as Nigel Farage suggests? April 17, 2015 The arguments against raising the minimum wage are many and varied – but is Ukip leader Nigel Farage's assertion that an increase might attract Romanian immigrants fair? While businesses argue hiking the minimum wage could raise the unemployment rate and lead to more illegal labour, today Farage suggested it would cause "even more people [to] [...]
UK house prices hit new high, but growth slows to its lowest for 16 months as London feels the effects of stamp duty changes and mansion tax fears April 17, 2015 UK house price growth is at its slowest since 2013, despite the cost of buying a house hitting record highs. The capital was particularly affected, as changes in stamp duty and fears of a mansion tax hit sales. The figures According to figures from LSL property Services, March 2015 had the smallest annual rise in [...]
Brits spent £7.5bn on moving house last year: That’s £23,000 in stamp duty, surveyors and other fees if you live in London April 17, 2015 The average cost of moving house in London shot up to £23,000 last year – that's higher than the average (median) UK annual wage. The figures The price of moving house in the UK rose by £431 last year, bringing the average total figure to £8,698 in 2014, up from £8,258 in 2013 and £7,552 in [...]
In charts: UK car registrations on the rise as PIIGS fight back April 16, 2015 A sign of recovery? The EU is celebrating its nineteenth straight month of improving car sales, as the PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain) pull their weight. Elsewhere the UK continued to buy more cars than Germany despite its smaller population, although the rate of growth was slower at six per cent to Germany’s [...]
UK house prices: Rental growth is now outpacing house price increases April 16, 2015 The price of renting a home in the UK has risen 10 per cent in the last 12 months – faster than the rate of growth for buyers. New data from HomeLet shows that the average rental cost rose in the 12 months to March in 11 of the 12 UK regions, with only Wales [...]
Three charts showing the best countries in Europe in which to buy a second home April 16, 2015 The Eurozone crisis was an economic nightmare for many, not least the property sector, with prices falling across the continent. And while there are signs of growth across the bloc, prices in many countries are still low, according to Eurostat, the statistical body of the EU. The Eurozone and European Union (EU) has returned to [...]
