Archive for the ‘Business’ Category
Labours tax bombshell for local pubs UK
Community pubs facing tax bombshell
Sunday, March 7 2010
Shadow Housing Minister Grant Shapps has warned of a ‘tax bombshell’ faced by community pubs this April.
New research by the Conservatives reveals that Gordon Brown’s tax inspectors are hiking up business rates for local pubs across country. Friendly community pubs with darts and pool tables face the biggest threat.
This comes as figures show that a net 3,690 local pubs have closed under Labour, according to official records held by tax inspectors.
“Gordon Brown has pushed local community pubs to the wall”, Shapps said, pointing out that at the same time Labour has ignored “the binge-drinking dens that have wrecked our town centres and fuelled violent crime”.
The three key elements of the tax bombshell are:
- New tax hikes on local pubs: New analysis of Government figures slipped out before Christmas has revealed that pubs, pub restaurants, wine bars, wineries and coaching inns face above-inflation hikes in their Rateable Values – and thus their tax bills. This will be top of Brown’s above-inflation rises in alcohol duty imposed in the Budget.
- Stealth tax on pub sports: According to the tax inspectors’ guidance, features such as a pool room, skittles alley, bowling green, children’s play area and darts have been targeted. The clipboard-wielding inspectors have secretly toured pubs, recording “pool, darts or football teams playing in leagues”. Pubs showing sport will not escape, as Sky Sports will be taxed extra, Ministers have admitted.
- Stealth tax on nice pubs: The tax manuals tell the state snoopers to take photographs inside and outside the pub, and record “Does the pub appear friendly and popular?”. Factors being logged include good beer cellars/stores (thus taxing real ale), “rare and unspoilt pubs”, and beer gardens (taxing those which have ducked the smoking ban).
“Not content with a council tax revaluation to tax people’s home improvements and scenic views, Gordon Brown also wants to hammer the nice local pub with higher local taxes”, Shapps said. “Only Conservatives will stand up for the local community pub”.
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Alan Blackwood, Corus Redcar steel worker – “We are dead, gone, finished. There is absolutely no way it can be saved!”
Corus workers’ anger over government ‘platitudes’
Work to partially mothball the plant could take up to six months
Corus workers on Teesside have accused the government of talking “platitudes” over the future of Redcar’s plant, which is being partially mothballed.
The shutdown of the blast furnace at Teesside Cast Products (TCP) begins later, with up to 1,600 jobs set to go.
Gordon Brown said he was “desperately looking” for investment. Corus has said the closure is temporary, with the firm open to “credible offers”.
Unions say the mothballing is premature and have threatened industrial action.
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 We are dead, gone, finished. There is absolutely no way it can be saved  Alan Blackwood, Corus worker
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TCP has been under threat since last May, when an international consortium pulled out of a 10-year contract.
The mothballing was confirmed earlier this week, despite hopes that a buyer could be found in the meantime.
Alan Blackwood, 57, who has worked at Redcar for 42 years and is now facing voluntary retirement, said: “I am just gobsmacked. It just feels to me that Corus doesn’t want Teesside to exist.
“We are dead, gone, finished. There is absolutely no way it can be saved. I think I am more concerned about the company than the government is.”
Linda Robinson, 50, whose family have been working at the plant for three generations, said her brother had just finished last shift and would never be going back. Three generations of Linda Robinson’s family have worked at the plant.
“They say mothballing, but really it’s closure,” she said.
“It is catastrophic for the community. The future is bleak.”
The mothballing could take up to six months, meaning the job losses will be gradual, but there was a sense of finality among workers.
Geoff Waterfield, multi-union chairman at TCP said: “I think the mood today, as it’s been for quite a while, is quite a sad mood really amongst everybody.
“And today I think will be very emotional on the site, and very emotional in the region for the community – because it affects not just the workers but pretty much everybody in the surrounding area”.
The predicted knock-on effect has been described as “horrendous”, with Redcar and Cleveland Council estimating up to 8,000 further jobs could be lost at local companies.
Speaking on Thursday, Business Secretary Lord Mandelson maintained the plant will be protected by the company, with a view to re-opening once a buyer has been found.
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I’m very proud of the people here because they’ve had to live with this hanging over them John Bolton, TCP managing director
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However, the Community union says it plans to ballot its members on industrial action over the decision to mothball, while the GMB union has announced it is also considering action.
The shutting down of TCP’s blast furnace will start on Friday, followed by the “blow down” process to use up the remaining raw materials.
On Saturday, holes will be drilled in the furnace to take out residual metal – a procedure known as “tapping the salamander”.
Work to preserve the machinery will then begin, in the hope that it can be restarted at a future date.
John Bolton, managing director of TCP told the BBC: “It’s a very sad day today. We’ve known about the potential of this happening since May.
“I’m very proud of the people here because they’ve had to live with this hanging over them.
“Everybody here has done everything they can to keep this plant going.”
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Sir Richard Branson endorses Conservative plans for the Economy
More and more business people and economic experts are coming on board with the Conservatives to show their support for our economic plans to repair Labours recession. Sir Richard Branson is a welcome addition with his endorsement of our plans to repair the economy and reduce the Labour created debt that is plauging our nation in so many ways.
Jim Ferguson
Sir Richard Branson backs Conservative economic plans
Many of the papers this morning report comments by made by the country’s best known entrepreneur, the Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson, which are highly supportive of the Conservative medicine being prescribed for the economy.
He gave his backing to the economists who backed George Osborne’s strategy for reducing the deficit on Sunday, saying:
“I believe the UK’s record budget deficit does pose a serious risk to our recovery. It would be damaging if we lost the confidence of the markets through delayed action, and saw interest rates have to go up steeply.”
“We are going to have to cut our spending and I agree with the 20 leading economists who said we need to start this year. The next government, whatever party that is, must set out a plan to reduce the bulk of the deficit over a parliament by cutting wasteful spending and must not put off those tough decisions to next year.
“These factors threaten to undermine the confidence of international and UK businesses, consumers and the global financial markets. That could cost jobs and reduce investment in Britain. We must send a clear signal that we have the issues in hand and a clear strategy for UK plc.”
Sir Richard stopped short of giving an unequivocal endorsement of the Conservative Party at the general election, but as the Daily Mail reports today, he met David Cameron and George Osborne at the Commons last week for what sources described as “a good meeting”.
George Osborne naturally welcomed Sir Richard’s backing for the economic strategy he is pursuing :
“Sir Richard Branson’s support for our economic policy of early action to deal with Britain’s debts is hugely welcome. As Britain’s best known entrepreneur, he knows more about creating jobs and building an economic recovery than the entire Labour Cabinet put together.
“The whole country will want to pay attention to his warning that Gordon Brown’s approach could mean lost jobs, higher mortgage rates and less investment in Britain. Coming just 48 hours after the country’s 20 leading economists made exactly the same argument, the momentum for change is growing every day.”
Jonathan Isaby
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Struan Stevenson MEP campaigning for Scottish food producers
Its great to see Struan Stevenson MEP campaigning hard on behalf of Scottish interests in Europe in particular his robust defence of our farmers and business who produce such excellent locally grown produce. His comments on labelling are essential for consumers to know exactly what they are buying.
Jim Ferguson
First word …
Welcome to the February edition of my Brussels Briefing.This month, in addition to my involvement in the appointment process of the new European Commission, I have been keeping a close eye on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy while striving to seek clarity on the issue of food labelling.
In these tough economic times local businesses and farmers need our support. Locally sourced produce is no longer a fashionable phrase, it now relates to the very survival of local shops and businesses.
In addition, the people of Scotland recognise the quality of home-grown produce and want to buy food that is genuinely Scottish. For too long consumers have been duped by products that have been mislabelled or not labelled at all. It is about time that producers are given clear guidelines for labelling. I will continue to campaign to have existing legislation changed to reflect the choice and clarity that consumers expect.
Join up here to support my campaign and help protect Scotland’s local farmers and businesses.
Best wishes,
Struan Stevenson MEP
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Superfast broadband for the Highlands of Scotland and beyond.
I was particularly interested to see the announcement of superfast broadband which a Conservative Government will introduce. Clearly business and so many individuals now use the internet that it has become an essential way to do business and has opened up so many opertunities especially for home working.
Living in the Highlands of Scotland in a very rural area has its limitations as far as working in relation to the internet and doing business online goes and this announcement is a very welcome one indeed.
This is indeed the way forward and will help boost our economy and market share on a global basis.
Jim Ferguson
Nationwide superfast broadband by 2017
Monday, February 1 2010
As part of our plans to Get Britain Growing, the Conservatives have unveiled plans to help make the UK the first major European country that has superfast broadband in the majority of homes by 2017.
Jeremy Hunt, the Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport said “we are currently one of the slowest countries in the developed world for broadband”, but with the Conservatives “we’ll become one of the fastest”.
He said Britain’s digital and creative industries “must have a proper communications infrastructure” if they are to become “world beaters”.
The Conservative approach to achieving this has three key components:
- We will create a regulatory framework to ensure the roll-out of superfast broadband at speeds of up to 100mbps to the majority of homes across the UK by 2017. This could involve either mobile or fixed line solutions and will be significantly faster than the Government’s proposed target. Our objective is to make the UK the first major European country to achieve this aim, securing its place as a European and global hub for the creative industries.
- We will end BT’s local loop monopoly by allowing other operators to use their ducts and poles thereby encouraging competition in the superfast broadband market. This approach has proved successful in other countries such as Singapore and South Korea: these countries are global leaders in superfast broadband infrastructure.
- We are committed to universal access to superfast broadband speeds. If the market does not deliver this in certain areas we will consider using the proportion of the licence fee dedicated to digital switchover to finance superfast broadband roll out under the new BBC licence fee settlement, starting in 2012. This amount would be leveraged to maximise the investment made, either by making it available as loans or on a matched funding basis.
Under these plans, Hunt said that “high speeds will be available not just in our cities but across the rural areas that have been left behind for too long”.
“These regulatory changes will create the right conditions for sustainable growth and ensure that the digital sector plays a leading role in a competitive, balanced economy”, he added.
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Conservative policy outlines economic growth
Good to see clear cut forward planning to restore our economy. George Osborne and his comments below demonstrate that a definitive vision exists to restore the economy and all the benefits that this entails.
Jim Ferguson
Osborne outlines eight benchmarks for economic growth
Tuesday, February 2 2010
George Osborne has set out a new model of economic growth, which plans for a private sector recovery driven by business investment and exports, instead of consumer borrowing and government debt.
The eight clear and transparent benchmarks published today are something against which a future Conservative Government can be judged.
Speaking at the launch of the document, the Shadow Chancellor contrasted our detailed approach with that of Gordon Brown who “will say anything and spend anything to cling on to power.”
And he added, “The man who failed to fix the roof while the sun was shining, and took Britain into the deepest and longest recession for generations, cannot be trusted to take us out of it.”
You can read the document in full using the viewer below, or alternatively click here to download a copy.
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Recovery of Britains economy has a long and difficult way to go
Jim Ferguson
Gordon Brown’s legacy will be the Great Recession
Commenting on the news that the UK is the last G20 economy to leave the recession, Shadow Chancellor George Osborne said “Gordon Brown’s promise that Britain would lead the world out of recession lies in tatters”.
“We were one of the first in and now, today, we are the last out. Gordon Brown’s legacy will be the Great Recession.”
Not only is the UK the last G20 economy to leave the recession, but:
- The UK was one of the first countries to enter recession, and the last G20 country out.
- Some countries emerged nine months ago.
- The pound has fallen significantly against other major currencies.
Osborne added that a key reason for this was that “Gordon Brown’s decisions as Chancellor left Britain ill-prepared and his judgements as Prime Minister made the recession even worse.”
The Conservatives have published a document explaining how Gordon Brown made the recession worse – you can read it in full below.
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