The economy
Pressure groups call for 30% single tax rateA single 30% flat tax, merging National Insurance and income tax, should be introduced within the next eight years to boost economic growth, the Institute of Directors and the Taxpayers' Alliance said today.
21 May 2012
Councils slam Whitehall's retention of ratesWhitehall's decision to claw back half of the localised business rates collected by English councils 'falls well short' of giving them freedom and lacks ambition, according to town halls.
21 May 2012
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NAO backs Northern Rock saleThe business plan underpinning the decision to split Northern Rock in two proved to be 'optimistic' but the alternative would not have benefited the taxpayer more, the National Audit Office said today.
18 May 2012
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Fall in unemployment masks 'underlying weaknesses'UK unemployment fell by 45,000 over the first three months of the year to 8.2%, according to official statistics.
16 May 2012
Stringing us along?Ministers talk the talk on local financial freedoms. But without the right to vary both taxation and service levels, town halls will remain at the mercy of Whitehall
01 April 2012
This is going to hurtAs the UK feels the pain of the harshest austerity package since the war, don't expect any letup in George Osborne's March Budget. Better get used to the new normal, says Tony Travers
01 March 2012
Safety in numbersSecurity is vital for local authority investments and that means managing the range of risks entailed. CIPFA's recent study shows what councils are doing to protect their funds
01 March 2012
