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Socially responsible property investment (SRPI) has taken on increased significance in recent years, as property investors have given an increased priority to environmental, social and governance issues in their property investment decision making. The purpose of this paper is to establish SRPI performance indices for UK property companies and empirically benchmark their risk‐adjusted performance and portfolio diversification benefits over recent years.

Using five socially responsible investment (SRI) performance eligibility criteria, the UK property companies contributing to these SRI measures are identified. These UK property companies are used to establish a number of SRPI market cap‐weighted performance indices over 2003‐2008. These SRPI performance indices are used to assess the risk‐adjusted performance and portfolio diversification benefits of UK SRPI property companies.

This paper objectively identifies the UK property companies actively involved in SRPI and finds that the UK SRPI property companies delivered superior risk‐adjusted returns than the overall UK property companies sector, with this performance being achieved with no loss of portfolio diversification benefits.

Much of the previous SRPI research has focused on the broad concept of SRPI with no empirical analysis. This paper is the first attempt to rigorously and empirically assess the risk‐adjusted performance of UK SRPI property companies by establishing SRPI performance indices for UK property companies. Given the increasing significance of SRPI, this research enables empirically validated, more informed and practical investment decision making regarding the performance‐based supporting of the SRPI agenda by property investors.

The purpose of this paper is to present data about the experiences of adults with learning disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic across the UK.

Interviews were conducted with 609 adults with learning disabilities. Family carers and support staff of another 351 adults with learning disabilities completed a proxy online survey. The data were collected between December 2020 and February 2021 and concerned both worries/negatives and anything positive that had happened because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Social isolation was the most commonly reported worry/negative for adults with learning disabilities, with other frequently reported worries/negatives including: changes to/loss of routine; loss of support/services; and decreased health/well-being/fitness. A large proportion of participants indicated that nothing positive had happened because of COVID-19, but some positives were reported, including: digital inclusion; more time spent with important people; improved health/well-being/fitness; and, a slower pace of life.

Future pandemic planning must ensure that adults with learning disabilities are supported to maintain social contact with the people who matter to them and to support their health and well-being (including maintaining access to essential services and activities). Some adults with learning disabilities may benefit from additional support to improve their digital confidence and access. This may in turn enable them to maintain contact with family, friends and support services/activities.

This is the largest study about the experiences of adults with learning disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. The authors primarily collected data directly from adults with learning disabilities and worked with partner organisations of people with learning disabilities throughout the study.

The 1988 Finance Act has a number of implications for the taxation of expatriates of UK origin. The main changes are outlined and the main groups of individuals who benefit or not are assessed. Some possible areas for planning maximum tax‐effectiveness are focused on.

To analyse the final report of the UK Cryptoassets Taskforce published in October 2018 and discuss the UK’s policy and regulatory approach to crypto-assets and distributed ledger technology in financial services.

This article considers some of the key aspects of the final report of the UK Cryptoassets Taskforce and provides a summary of the next steps the UK authorities have committed to taking in relation to regulation of crypto-assets in the UK.

The approach to regulation of crypto-assets in the UK is evolving and the relevant UK authorities are continuing to improve their understanding of crypto-assets in order to assess the appropriate type and level of regulation that should apply to them. Whilst risks relating to consumer detriment and anti-money laundering have been identified as needing to be addressed as a matter of priority, the UK authorities appear to be taking a measured approach to regulation of crypto-assets. They also remain supportive of the adoption of distributed ledger technology in financial services, whilst noting some potential challenges to scalability.

This article contains valuable information about current policy direction and regulatory thinking in the UK in relation to crypto-assets, and analysis from leading FinTech lawyers.

Profiles the changing face of the UK automobile market 1978‐80. Examines the changing fortunes of the four major British producers – BL, Ford, Vauxhall and Talbot – in the light of political and economic factors and the emergence of increased competition from imports. Outlines methods used by Western Europeans and the Japanese to establish themselves in the UK market and subsequently increase their share of the market. Highlights the weaknesses of UK manufacturers – the limited size of UK plants, a tendency for model overlap and industrial relations problems. Explores the nature of competition in the UK market and the effectiveness of advertising. Concludes that UK manufacturers need to launch products perceived as modern, value for money and reliable if they are to combat the ever‐increasing threat from foreign competitors.

Consumer susceptibility to country of origin effects has been demonstrated in the past. Formulation of a successful export marketing strategy for Saudi Arabia can be assisted by gaining insight into how the Saudi consumers view a particular “made‐in” label. This study examines Saudi consumers' attitudes toward a “made‐in UK” label. The authors also discuss several strategies that can be used to promote the “made‐in UK” label in Saudi Arabia.

The EU is extremely important to the UK clothing industry in that (based on 1996 data) some 70 per cent of direct exports of clothing from the UK went to the EU. This compares with a figure of 57 per cent for all UK trade and 56 per cent for all UK‐manufactured exports (Tables 1 and 2). In relation to the 11 members of the Eurozone some 62 per cent for all UK clothing exports were destined (in 1996) for that region (Table 3). The Eurozone has a population of 290 millions with a total GDP of $6,000bn and a per capita GDP of $20,000 based on 1997 figures published by Eurostat (Table 4). Therefore the issue of whether or not the UK joins the Eurozone by signing up to economic and monetary union could be of particular interest to the clothing sector over and above the general issues that membership of EMU would pose for all businesses. If the Euro is weak in relation to the pound while the UK is outside the Eurozone then UK exports to that zone will become more expensive and, other things being equal, UK sales into the zone will fall. On these grounds and from the very narrow perspective of selling garments by direct export from the UK being inside the Eurozone does, therefore, appear to be a desirable option in that it cannot make a lot economic sense to be outside your major market.

With the triggering of Article 50, the uncertainty around Brexit and the outcomes of the UK/EU negotiations process associated with the UK leaving the EU have catalysed British political debate. This situation has had and still has significant economic implications for thousands of businesses operating in the UK and in the region.

It is likely that impact of Brexit will be much larger for the North East of England compared to the other English regions, despite the Leave vote winning an overwhelming majority in the region. Many areas in the North East have heavily relied on public sector jobs and investments in the past and benefited from substantial European funding provided over the last few decades to support infrastructure, regeneration and training activities. Over 70,000 jobs were created in the region because of EU investments between 2007 and 2013, and thousands more jobs still depend on the investments being made under the 2014–2020 programming period.

This chapter analyses the economic implications that Brexit will generate for the North East of England. Focussing on data gathered from the post-crisis time, the author examines the most recent policies and findings in the literature, critically evaluating and presenting what a post-Brexit North East will be like from an economic and social perspective.

Wars have important economic dimensions. They involve costs requiring resources that have alternative uses such as new hospitals, schools, and roads. Economists can contribute to the understanding of wars by identifying their costs. Case studies make a valuable contribution by providing estimates of the costs of conflict. Much has been written about the costs to the USA of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Similar studies for the UK have been lacking. This chapter provides UK estimates of the costs of both conflicts.

The fundamental political and economic reforms taking place in Eastern and Central Europe pose some difficult questions for the future of the agri‐food industries in Hungary and Bulgaria. A major sector facing the problems of transition to a market economy is wine, traditionally an important source of export earnings. The loss of the volume markets in the former COMECON countries has forced the wine sectors to look to West European markets and the UK in particular, where wine consumption is rising. Hungary is currently a minor source of wine in the UK and has a generally poor reputation in servicing the requirements of the market. Bulgaria now accounts for over 3 per cent of the UK′s total wine imports and is perceived widely to be an example of highly successful marketing. This is due largely to tight control over export activities by a former state‐controlled export body. Since the fall of Communism, this control has been weakened as individual wineries export on their own account – undermining the consistency of marketing effort. Overall both Hungary and Bulgaria have the potential to meet the wine import requirements of the UK wine buyers, although both have to overcome common and divergent problems of transition and are developing from different historical bases.