Conservatives should scrap inheritance tax outright, thinktank suggests

The Conservative party would be better off scrapping inheritance tax altogether rather than increasing the threshold to £1m, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has suggested.

Bank of England signals 'scope' to keep rates low under new guidance

Bank of England Governor Mark Carney was forced to overhaul his six-month-old forward guidance policy today as Threadneedle Street switched aim to take up more slack in the economy before raising interest rates.

World led by US poised for fastest growth since 2010

The world economy is primed for its fastest expansion in four years, with the US propelling the improvement in output.

Pay deals 'lag behind inflation'

UK  pay deals are failing to keep up with the cost of living, especially for public sector workers, according to new research.

Swiss banking secrecy has no place in globalised world'

Switzerland's bank secrecy laws and anonymous numbered accounts have a long and shameful history: They have been used to help criminals conceal illicit gains, to deny Holocaust survivors their stolen inheritances and to help the world's wealthy hide taxable income.

UK holding back progress on global financial stability

A new report published today argues that the UK is subverting progress towards a safer financial system, and has become a major barrier to international efforts for reform.

The report, Subverting Safer Finance by think-tank nef (the new economics foundation), reveals that compared with other major financial centres, including even the US, the UK is part of the problem in key areas of financial reform, rather than leading the search for solutions.