UK Finance News

Budget speeches are always interesting as they are a blend of give and take which usually
leaves Joe and Jane Public wondering if they’ve been had.
With storms outside and global economies doing about as well, you’d be forgiven for thinking Mr Darling didn’t know whether to wind his a*se or scratch his watch.
Overall the budget was [...]

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For the first time in ten years, and in Alistair Darling’s first budget, duty on Scotch
Whisky is set to rise.
This has enraged producers and SNP ministers who feel the Scottish industry is being tapped by Westminister to prop up the ailing UK economy as a whole.
The duty, at 40%, currently pulls in 27p a dram [...]

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As we approach the season of less-goodwill, when the letterbox-clang may well be bringing your council tax demand, it’s worth remembering that up to 400,000 properties are estimated to be in the wrong band - and paying too much tax.
The reason for this is that the bands themselves are base-lined on estimated house prices in [...]

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Or Russia for that matter? It’s only a few years since the so-called BRIC [Brazil, Russia, India, China] wouldn’t have been touched by an investment bargepole. Nowadays they’re driving more markets than a French farmer.
It’s true, ask any plumber about the price of copper and he’ll even tell you which country’s caused the trouble. [...]

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The Old Lady’s Monetary Policy Committee has backed the stable horse as had been much predicted, following last month’s quarter per cent cut.
The European Central Bank has also held its main rate steady - at 4%.
The City’s reaction was a brisk pick up in trading followed by the FTSE falling to another new low.
What’s going [...]

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