Business By John Campbell BBC News NI Economics & Business Editor 29 July 2019 Share this with Facebook Share this with Messenger Share this with Twitter Share this with Email Share this with Facebook Share this with WhatsApp Share this with Messenger Share this with Twitter Share Share this with These are external links and will open in a new window Email Share this with Email Facebook Share this with Facebook Messenger Share this with Messenger Messenger Share this with Messenger Twitter Share this with Twitter Pinterest Share this with Pinterest WhatsApp Share this with WhatsApp LinkedIn Share this with LinkedIn Copy this link https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49130447 Read more about sharing. These are external links and will open in a new window Close share panel Related TopicsReality Check The Irish government has been clear that a … [Read more...] about What would a no-deal Brexit mean for Ireland?
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Reformed UK criminal helps beat Alentejo property scammer
All the characters in this remarkable saga are British. The victims are Richard and Jane Wallinger, who fell in love with Portugal’s lifestyle and people on their first short visit in 2002. They sold their home in the UK in 2004 and used the funds to buy a house 30 kilometres from the town of Ferreiras do Alentejo in the district of Beja. They say they were conned into trying to buy another plot of land by an unmarried couple who turned out to be fraudsters. The person trying to solve the ongoing problem is Shaun Smith, a former “enforcer” who was sentenced in Liverpool to five years' imprisonment for a firearms offence. Released from prison in 2009, Smith is now the director of an investigative and debt collection company. He has recently risen to fame as a bare-knuckle boxer in a Netflix documentary featuring his gym in Warrington, Cheshire. Richard Wallinger, a former racing driver, says he handed over an initial payment of £50,000 in cash to a supposed vendor … [Read more...] about Reformed UK criminal helps beat Alentejo property scammer
Tuition fees: Should they be reduced and debt written off?
A new review into higher education has advised a cut should be made to tuition fees - and soon to be departing prime minister Theresa May has backed the move. The cap on tuition fees almost tripled during the Conservative led coalition government, with students paying more to cover cuts to university funding, reports Perspecs. But the Augar review recommends that fees in England be cut from a maximum of £9,250 to £7,500, with the debt being written off after 40 years rather than the current 30. May ordered the review last year and hopes the changes will help the Conservatives attract younger voters, though the choice of implementing the report's recommendations lies with her replacement. While some welcome the suggestion, others argue that the cut would have a negative effect on poorer students. The Claim The review, named after lead author Philip Augar, states that a tuition fee cut would help close the skills gap in the UK by encouraging students from low income … [Read more...] about Tuition fees: Should they be reduced and debt written off?
Meet two Northern Ireland couples who married on a shoestring
With the average wedding costing an eye-watering £30,000, two brides tell Linda Stewart how they managed to pull together their big day on a budget Carer Geraldine Leslie (38), from west Belfast, married Edinburgh-born journalist Matthew (44) in Newcastle, Co Down, in July 2017 and they now live in Wick, Scotland. She estimates the cost came to around £3,000. Geraldine laughs that she first met Matthew on social media after her friend Aine Carson wrote about her in a blog post. "I had been single a long time and she wrote a blog about our friendship and said I was single and looking," she says. "I'd been to Match.com and it didn't really work out for me. Because I'm a practising Catholic as well, I needed someone who was respectful of those values that I have. So I thought 'you know what, I've got nothing to lose'. I thought I might as well give it a go." Matthew, who followed Aine on Twitter, spotted the post and made contact with Aine, saying 'I'll take her off your … [Read more...] about Meet two Northern Ireland couples who married on a shoestring
CAP report shines light on social problems caused by debt
The link between problem debt and social isolation in Northern Ireland is highlighted in a new report due to be published today. According to national charity Christians Against Poverty (CAP), a fifth of their clients suffering from problem debt have said they felt so low they didn’t leave the house for weeks at a time.The loneliness caused by financial hardship is revealed in the charity’s ‘Changing Perceptions’ report, which will be launched at Stormont this afternoon.The event will also mark 10 years of CAP serving some of the poorest families in Northern Ireland.“Our findings highlight the secret day-to-day reality of people suffering behind closed doors,” explained Chris Cupples, CAP’s national director for NI.“People hide away for different reasons: they may not be able to afford to socialise, very often there are struggling with poor mental health and they feel embarrassed or lack confidence.“In a just and compassionate … [Read more...] about CAP report shines light on social problems caused by debt