Latest news with #HMGovernment
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mayor campaign threatens action against government
The Mayor for Plymouth (MfP) campaign says it will take the government to high court over an announcement there will no be a directly-elected mayor for the city. The government announced on Tuesday that the creation of new elected mayor roles would be discontinued to "simplify local government and support democratic accountability for local people". The Plymouth Knows Better (PKB) - No to a City Mayor coalition, welcomed the news, but MfP said it betrayed "democracy". A referendum on how the city is run was confirmed before the announcement, and is still set to take place on 17 July after a petition reached more than 10,000 signatures on the issue of the £75,000-per-year role. MfP campaign leader Angus Forbes said the government had betrayed "democracy, current legislation and the people of Plymouth". He said: "HM Government is willing to put the suffering of tens of thousands of its citizens to the side, in pursuit of the retention of political power. "Plymothians want change, they want better democracy, they want their voice to be heard. "The 13,800 Plymothians who signed the petition for change did so under current legislation." More news stories for Devon Listen to the latest news for Devon Mr Forbes said the MfP still intended "to win" the referendum to grant its first mayor for May 2026. He said: "If HM Government tries to stop us on the grounds of some prospective legislation, we will see them in the high court, where we will win. "The final check and balance of a government's power is always the people, and it is this union of the people of Plymouth that will prevail against authoritarianism, fear and intimidation." The MfP added that the referendum would take place under current law, "not prospective law that had not yet been passed". Peter Gold, campaign manager for Plymouth Deserves Better, said it felt the government was "overruling local democracy". "Local people, if we make a choice to vote for a mayor, the government overruling that is just basically cancelling democracy," he said. Jemima Laing, deputy leader of Labour-led Plymouth City Council, said the leader of the MfP had been told the "direction the government was going". She said: "It was very clear from the devolution white paper which was published at the end of last year. "Angus Forbes can't say he wasn't told, can't say he didn't know and can't say he wasn't asked to stop. "The reason we are spending over £400,000 on a referendum in Plymouth is because Angus Forbes wouldn't take no for an answer." Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Community resolution over council leader threat Directly-elected Plymouth city mayor role scrapped Date set for referendum on mayor for Plymouth UK Government Mayor for Plymouth
BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Plymouth mayor campaign threatens legal action against government
The Mayor for Plymouth (MfP) campaign says it will take the government to high court over an announcement there will no be a directly-elected mayor for the government announced on Tuesday that the creation of new elected mayor roles would be discontinued to "simplify local government and support democratic accountability for local people".The Plymouth Knows Better (PKB) - No to a City Mayor coalition, welcomed the news, but MfP said it betrayed "democracy".A referendum on how the city is run was confirmed before the announcement, and is still set to take place on 17 July after a petition reached more than 10,000 signatures on the issue of the £75,000-per-year role. MfP campaign leader Angus Forbes said the government had betrayed "democracy, current legislation and the people of Plymouth". He said: "HM Government is willing to put the suffering of tens of thousands of its citizens to the side, in pursuit of the retention of political power. "Plymothians want change, they want better democracy, they want their voice to be heard. "The 13,800 Plymothians who signed the petition for change did so under current legislation." Mr Forbes said the MfP still intended "to win" the referendum to grant its first mayor for May said: "If HM Government tries to stop us on the grounds of some prospective legislation, we will see them in the high court, where we will win."The final check and balance of a government's power is always the people, and it is this union of the people of Plymouth that will prevail against authoritarianism, fear and intimidation."The MfP added that the referendum would take place under current law, "not prospective law that had not yet been passed".
The Independent
28-01-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Employers' national insurance rise ‘straw that breaks camels back', Lords told
A rise in employer national insurance could be the 'straw that breaks the camel's back' for businesses, a former head of the spending watchdog has said. Crossbench peer Lord Morse, former head of the National Audit Office, warned that 'not all big businesses have equally broad shoulders' as he said the Government had not considered the 'differential damage' of the move. Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a hike to employer national insurance contributions (NIC) in the autumn budget, with the aim of raising around £25 billion a year. Lord Morse told peers: 'Employer national insurance has no direct relationship to that employer's profitability, and thus to that employer's ability to pay more tax. 'If an employer happens to be in an industry that habitually has payroll costs of a relatively high proportion of its total expenditure, it will necessarily attract a higher cost from the increase in employer national insurance, that if it had that same turnover and spent a lower percentage of its outgoing costs on payroll, but, for example, a higher amount on technology, data and other non-labour costs. 'If a business has a very substantial turnover, but relatively low margins, such as a lot of the major construction contractors…that its ability to pay more national insurance may be much less than it would be in another more profitable sector. 'Not all big businesses have equally broad shoulders. I know that's a popular government expression, and some big businesses may find the additional NIC charge very much more damaging than others. It may even be the final straw that breaks the camel's back, in some cases. 'Different industries form larger or smaller proportions of economic activity in different areas of the UK, and they tend to be concentrated. 'If a high proportion of local business activity happens to be in a high payroll model of business this means that the local economy is likely to be disproportionately impacted, and we are hearing examples of that in Northern Ireland, but it's not just there. 'It's not rocket science. I'm saying I must admit, but I'm not sure that HM Government has considered these points of differential damage, if not, they should do so.' The Government's plans are detrimental in many ways, but not least the reality that many businesses will be simply unable to absorb the increased cost of national insurance contributions or the inflation-busting wage increases, but the bill still has to be paid Lord Morrow The debate on Monday evening was called by DUP peer Lord Morrow who said the Government had not given thought to the 'disproportionately negative impact' removal of agricultural property relief and increases to employer national insurance would have on Northern Ireland. He told peers: 'The Government's plans are detrimental in many ways, but not least the reality that many businesses will be simply unable to absorb the increased cost of national insurance contributions or the inflation-busting wage increases, but the bill still has to be paid, and this will be shifted onto the consumer, who will have to contend with higher prices amidst an extremely difficult time for many families across Northern Ireland. 'In Northern Ireland, the rise in the rate of national insurance contributions from 13.8% to 15% will hit our agricultural sector hard.'
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Employers' national insurance rise ‘straw that breaks camels back', Lords told
A rise in employer national insurance could be the 'straw that breaks the camel's back' for businesses, a former head of the spending watchdog has said. Crossbench peer Lord Morse, former head of the National Audit Office, warned that 'not all big businesses have equally broad shoulders' as he said the Government had not considered the 'differential damage' of the move. Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a hike to employer national insurance contributions (NIC) in the autumn budget, with the aim of raising around £25 billion a year. Lord Morse told peers: 'Employer national insurance has no direct relationship to that employer's profitability, and thus to that employer's ability to pay more tax. 'If an employer happens to be in an industry that habitually has payroll costs of a relatively high proportion of its total expenditure, it will necessarily attract a higher cost from the increase in employer national insurance, that if it had that same turnover and spent a lower percentage of its outgoing costs on payroll, but, for example, a higher amount on technology, data and other non-labour costs. 'If a business has a very substantial turnover, but relatively low margins, such as a lot of the major construction contractors…that its ability to pay more national insurance may be much less than it would be in another more profitable sector. 'Not all big businesses have equally broad shoulders. I know that's a popular government expression, and some big businesses may find the additional NIC charge very much more damaging than others. It may even be the final straw that breaks the camel's back, in some cases. 'Different industries form larger or smaller proportions of economic activity in different areas of the UK, and they tend to be concentrated. 'If a high proportion of local business activity happens to be in a high payroll model of business this means that the local economy is likely to be disproportionately impacted, and we are hearing examples of that in Northern Ireland, but it's not just there. 'It's not rocket science. I'm saying I must admit, but I'm not sure that HM Government has considered these points of differential damage, if not, they should do so.' The debate on Monday evening was called by DUP peer Lord Morrow who said the Government had not given thought to the 'disproportionately negative impact' removal of agricultural property relief and increases to employer national insurance would have on Northern Ireland. He told peers: 'The Government's plans are detrimental in many ways, but not least the reality that many businesses will be simply unable to absorb the increased cost of national insurance contributions or the inflation-busting wage increases, but the bill still has to be paid, and this will be shifted onto the consumer, who will have to contend with higher prices amidst an extremely difficult time for many families across Northern Ireland. 'In Northern Ireland, the rise in the rate of national insurance contributions from 13.8% to 15% will hit our agricultural sector hard.'
