Business is the wealth generator of the UK, and small and family businesses are the often neglected heart of the UK economy, with family businesses alone employing nearly four in ten of the UK’s workforce. We propose ways to make the UK an economy all businesses can thrive in.
A Norma Desmond Budget
Norma Desmond’s retort in Sunset Boulevard (“You used to be in silent pictures. You used to be big”. Norma Desmond: “I am big. It’s the pictures that got small”) might also apply to recent budgets..
Not Paved With Gold
The widely held assumption that high government expenditure can have a positive impact on GDP growth is challenged by Brian Sturgess.
The Tidal Wave of Regulation
Unless tougher action is taken, the overall cost of regulation to British businesses at the end of this Parliament will be higher than at the beginning.
Why every serious environmentalist should favour fracking
Both global warming and air pollution can be mitigated by the responsible development and utilisation of shale gas.
Ease the Squeeze: tax cutting priorities in an age of austerity
Dominic Raab MP calls for a strategic pledge to cut the overall tax burden in the 2015-20 Parliament.
Autumn Statement 2012 Briefing Note: Paint the Big Picture, George
In an Autumn Statement briefing note, Ryan Bourne and Tim Knox provide some advice for the Chancellor with 16 Recommendations.
Costly and Ineffective: Why Pension Tax Reliefs Should be Reformed
Costly and Ineffective: Why Pension Tax Reliefs Should be Reformed
The Local Government Pension Scheme: opportunity knocks
Leading pensions analyst Michael Johnson on the failure of governance in the local government pension scheme.
Aggregation is the key
Automatic consolidation of pension pots and other retirement savings would help deliver economies of scale to the individual, leading to higher incomes in retirement, greater customer control over their own assets & lower welfare costs.
The Tobin Tax rears its ugly head, again
John Chown shows how, despite the fact that the original proposals for an EU-wide FTT were successfully vetoed by the British Prime Minister in 2011, similar proposals are now being implemented by the European Commission in eleven Member States under a process known as the Enhanced Cooperation Procedure.
Take the Long View
The Coalition has replaced its original deficit reduction plan with a “protection of government spending plans plan”, write Ryan Bourne and Tim Knox.
Masking the Symptoms
Ewen Stewart, a leading bond and equity analyst, investigates whether current UK monetary and fiscal policies are sustainable in in Masking the Symptoms: why QE and huge deficits are not the cure.
Capitalism for the Little Guy
Dominic Raab MP sets out ten ways in which more competition can widen consumer choice and reduce costs in five key sectors: energy, water, retail banking, schools and health
A Toxic Tangle
Leading pensions analyst Michael Johnson explains why the future cost of public service pensions could be as much as £41 billion a year.
Estonia: A Case Study
Ryan Bourne writes of how Estonia provides a clear case-study of a country which has successfully embraced austerity and seen a return to sustainable economic growth.
