David Cameron was accused on Sunday of taking "a hell of a risk" with City jobs after he promised to impose a new levy on UK banks even if other countries did not follow suit

Jesse discusses recent comments by Japanese economist Yukio Noguchi, predicting national bankruptcy and hyperinflation (the IMF reckons the crisis could hit in 2019). Jesse thinks the UK and some of Europe will go first; even more worryingly, he turns to spiritual matters (which I respect, but it's a sign of how bad he feels the situation to be). Speaking of the IMF, Richard Daughty rehearses...

A 300 per cent increase in the price of copper has led to metal theft becoming the fastest-growing crime in the UK. Criminals sell the cable on to scrap dealers who ship it abroad. An epidemic of thefts is thought to have cost British Telecom several million pounds already this year. Last week thieves tore up manhole covers

If the UK wants to benefit from being a hedge fund domicile of choice, it must simplify its tax regime or risk losing out forever to Ireland and Luxembourg

Policy Exchange has just published a "research note" purporting to show that the tax on cigarettes in the UK should be increased, and that "that every single cigarette smoked costs the country money - 6.5 pence each time someone lights up." If you read the paper [pdf], you will find it is an astonishingly dodgy dossier. Here is how the figure is made up: Taxation of tobacco contributes Â&pou...

Well, yes and no. LABOUR’S new 50% tax on high earners will leave Britain with the highest income-tax rates in the G8, just a year after the UK had the second lowest in the influential grouping. It will have the joint highest personal tax alongside Japan among the world’s leading economies. Marginal tax rates are

LIAM Fox has given his strongest signal yet that a Conservative UK government would commit itself to the two gigantic aircraft carriers being built on the Clyde.

David Miliband MP, Labour’s Foreign Secretary responding to the latest comments by William Hague on Lord Ashcroft said: "Last night on Any Questions we heard the latest twist in William Hague's dance of the seven veils on Lord Ashcroft's peerage. He now admits that he knew 10 years ago that Lord Ashcroft was only planning to pay tax on his UK income - contrary to all the efforts of...

David Cameron's refusal to offer a referendum on Europe would spell ''absolutely certain disaster'' for Britain in the event of the a Tory election win, the UK Independence Party leader said yesterday.

Here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week. Fraser Nelson says that age is no impediment to wit and intelligence, and argues that Cameron has to win outright. James Forsyth watches Cameron kick-off his campaign, and says there is growing confidence among Tory ranks. Peter Hoskin asks if the Tories have been fools or knaves over Ashcroft, and welcomes the start of mature ...