by Brian Binley MP  And they say they don’t treat business with distain! So why introduce a further tax to hit small businesses at a time when companies are struggling simply because the Labour Government doesn’t understand business culture and only sees the sector as a milch cow. We are already seeing a frightening deterioration in the

End of March I posted this which outlined the absolute 'Horlicks' that the Assembly Government had made of providing advice to businesses in Mid Wales. To recap briefly - after many years of business advice provision by Powys County Council, (through Business Connect and Business Eye) the contract to supply the service was given to a company from outside the area called Business in Focus...

Simon Carr makes a fair point about us all now owning big slices of the banks: [W]ho are the Government directors on these bank boards looking after? Legally they’re supposed to be looking after the company’s shareholders. So, shouldn’t they be insisting the bank uses every offshore method of avoiding tax? Or denouncing the Office of

As readers of this blog will know by now, I am a passionate supporter of reducing business rates for small firms in Wales. In devolution terms, it is the only real financial instrument available to the Welsh Assembly Government and whilst it does not have power to reduce corporation tax, it does have responsibility for business rates which affects every single business in our economy. Therefore, a...

Royal Bank of Scotland was put on notice yesterday that its lending policy, boardroom appointments and business strategy were being reviewed by the government as it took control of 58% of the Edinburgh-based bank. The body set up to oversee the government's stake said it was in "active discussions" about the bank's strategy. UK Financial Investments said that John Crompton, hired from Me...

Business secretary says bank was allowed to carry on with high-risk lending because government did not want to suggest it was closing for business Lord Mandelson today defended the way the government handled the rescue of Northern Rock after the process was strongly criticised in a report by the National Audit Office. The business secretary said the bank was allowed to carry on with high-risk lend...

Chuka Umunna MP, Labour’s Shadow Business Secretary, commenting on the Bank of England Agents' summary for October, which show falling business confidence is leading to firms scaling back investment, said:

As the Sunday Times reports: LORD MYNERS, the minister in charge of the government’s assault on tax havens, has used a blind trust to conceal £250,000 of his own money in an offshore shelter. Details of the secret holding have been obtained by The Sunday Times as G20 leaders gather in London pledging to stamp out tax

Today the government intends to give banking chiefs a strong tongue lashing on the need to lend more money to small business on sensible terms. This will be very popular with small business. It is all part of the government’s renewed spin offensive. Readers of

Put this warning up on the radar. Sunderland Conservative councillors have hit out at the possibility of local businesses being hit by a supplementary business rates demand, as a result of the Labour government’s Business Rates Supplements Bill. Cllr. Alan Wright said: “The Conservative group will be asking the city council to urge the Government not to