General Election 2015: David Cameron vows to slash £10bn of regulation for small businesses April 27, 2015 David Cameron has said his party is engaged in a "battle for the backbone of Britain" and that meeting small businesses "pumps" him up, unveiling the Tories' small business manifesto in a noticeably more passionate address than in the previous weeks of campaigning. The Conservatives plan to relieve small businesses of £10bn worth of regulation [...]
Nicola Sturgeon: “Ed Miliband can’t deny reality” and will have to talk with the SNP April 27, 2015 SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has said Ed Miliband "can't deny reality" and will have to be prepared "to talk and to compromise" with the SNP if Labour falls short of a parliamentary majority. After a week when the Tories hammered home the dangers to England of an SNP-Labour deal Ed Miliband gave the clearest indication yet that [...]
General Election 2015: Undecided voters may go for David Cameron thanks to Tory strength on the economy April 24, 2015 The economy is the top issue for undecided voters, according to a new ComRes poll. With the Tories and Labour running neck and neck in the polls and much of the electorate still not sure who they're going to vote for, the election could be determined on just a few thousand undecided voters in a [...]
David Cameron says English votes for English laws will go ahead in first 100 days of Tory government April 24, 2015 David Cameron and William Hague have outlined their plans for English Votes for English laws (EVEL) which include an England-specific rate of income tax. The proposals are part of the Conservative Party's first ever English manifesto. The Tory campaign has zoned in on the possibility of a SNP-Labour deal as a key issue that could sway [...]
Lord Digby Jones slams Ed Miliband for “sneering” at wealth creators and accuses Labour of being “ignorant” about high taxes April 24, 2015 A former minister in Gordon Brown's government has blasted Ed Miliband's policies of higher taxes on the wealthy market interventionism. Lord Digby Jones, a former head of the CBI and minister for trade and investment, penned an open letter to the Labour leader in The Telegraph, saying Miliband needed to stop "sneering" at wealth creators and the profit [...]
Reckitt Benckiser beats expectations thanks to bumper sales of healthcare brands April 24, 2015 The figures Consumer goods giant Reckitt Benckiser (RB) has reported a five per cent rise in like-for-like sales, which hit £2.2bn during the first quarter. Health and hygiene enjoyed strong growth, with net revenue rising by 32 per cent and 42 per cent respectively in those categories. Why it's interesting A bad flu season (bad [...]
Voters back up Nigel Farage and say media are most biased against Ukip April 23, 2015 A plurality of British voters think the media is much more likely to be biased against Ukip than any other major political party. The media has often made great play of gaffes and inappropriate remarks made by Ukip politicians and members. However, Ukip consistently points out that the media rarely reports similar offences committed by [...]
IFS: Labour leaves door open to borrowing £90bn more than the Conservatives April 23, 2015 The independent Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has published its analysis of several of the parties' manifestos. The Conservatives, Labour, Lib Dems and the SNP all came in for scrutiny from the think tank – although Ukip and the Greens were left off the list. The IFS' numbers show a substantial difference between the major [...]
Happy St George’s Day: Why another bank holiday would be a terrible idea April 23, 2015 Happy St George's Day. Today people across England will celebrate the country's rich history – not to mention a plethora of weird and wonderful traditions that make up this vibrant culture. But lest we forget amid the merriment: we are in the middle of a General Election. No good time will be allowed to pass [...]
William Hill shares slide after profits drop 19pc as tax burden begins to bite April 23, 2015 The figures Now isn't the time to bet on bookies, apparently: despite lucrative opportunities around the election, William Hill suffered a fall in operating profit of 19 per cent in the first quarter. Online operating profits dropped 38 per cent while sports betting revenues were hit by the company's largest ever loss-making week in January. [...]
