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Spectator

4 hours ago

• Spectator

Is Dutch tolerance dying?

Campaigners across southern Europe are protesting against 'touristification'. Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, wealthy expats are in the firing line. Businesses in Amsterdam could be asked to foot the bill for local housing if they employ highly-skilled internationals. Alongside paranoia about asylum seekers, there is a rising feeling that expats and even holidaymakers are unwelcome in parts of the continent. The Netherlands was once an outward-looking, tolerant, trader nation. Is that still the case? It's not much fun to live in a place – or even visit somewhere – that resents your presence, especially if you have bothered to learn the local language and swallowed the high tax rates that fund northern Europe's generous social benefits. But this 'me-first' sentiment in Europe is great news for London and anywhere else in the market for scarce global talent. Post-Brexit 'trading volumes shifting to Amsterdam appear to be here to stay,' Dutch financial paper Het Financieele Dagblad jubilantly announced earlier this year. The paper claimed that 'Amsterdam is now bigger than London'. In the aftermath of Britain's departure from the EU, there certainly appeared to be some evidence that London's dominance as a global financial centre might be at risk. But – unlike the years after the 2016 EU referendum, in which the European Medicines Agency relocated to Amsterdam, and the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency loudly boasted about winning businesses, jobs and investments – there has been a change of tone. The Netherlands was once an outward-looking, tolerant, trader nation that advertised for foreign students and was proud of its English-language proficiency. Is that still the case? Last week, Amsterdam council voted to pass a motion to ask international businesses based in the Dutch capital to contribute to solving a general housing shortage and pay for programmes to get their 'lonely' foreign workers to integrate. The policy, 'Make Amsterdam your home', sounded friendly enough, but the message behind it was anything but. 'In short, internationalisation is part of our city but it also brings challenges, such as driving up house prices, the emergence of a parallel world and the transformation of neighbourhoods, for example because more and more English is spoken,' it declared. Foreign companies, said the accompanying Labour press release, should be expected to give something back. As the Netherlands remembers 80 years of liberation from the Nazis – thanks to Allied troops, speaking that awful language of English – foreigners are being blamed for driving up house prices and sabotaging social cohesion. The facts are less important than nationalist gut feeling: the Dutch government offers 110,000 highly-skilled migrants (including footballers) a temporary tax break to compensate for its high income taxes. But despite the expats, who don't even have a vote, benefitting our country, they are far from popular. It doesn't seem to matter that a government analysis found the tax break raises €128.5million (£110 million) a year, has a 'very modest impact' on house prices and 97 per cent of the highly-skilled professionals work full time, compared with 52 per cent of the Dutch. Nor that Statistics Netherlands research suggests that Germans and Brits lead the least segregated lives and wealthy locals the most. The Dutch government recently collapsed in a row over asylum created by far-right veteran Geert Wilders. Universities are scrapping English-language courses and capping international student numbers. Now, Amsterdam councillors are pointing the finger at internationals for the consequences of the Netherlands' part-time lifestyle, lack of house-building and preference for single-person households. Meanwhile, the country continues to ignore calls from the European Commission, Dutch central bank and its own economists to reduce home owner tax breaks that inflate its housing market. It's easy – if absurd – to vilify other people and treat hard-working foreigners who do the jobs you can't or won't do as 'exploiting' your system. But the result is obvious: when places like the Netherlands become hostile to international business and talent, it will go elsewhere. The failure of Dutch tolerance is a marvellous opportunity, in other words, for a place like London – where you can be judged by what you can do instead of by your name; where a finance minister doesn't have to admit the tax office has a problem with 'institutional racism'; and a government doesn't fall after falsely accusing some 40,000 families of childcare benefits fraud. Non-doms might not be welcome in the UK – and Wise, the British fintech, might be leaving for New York – but filthy-rich talent is not a problem in London. Some Dutch experts, at least, recognise that their golden age is tarnishing. To the concern of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW), the country dropped from 4th in 2021 to 10th this year in the IMD's world competitiveness ranking. The Netherlands might be ahead of the UK (29th) with the help of its international trade, but tax policy is rated a dismal 67th – well under Britain. The general-director of the VNO-NCW Focco Vijselaar tells The Spectator that there is cause for concern. 'For quite some time, we have been pointing out the concrete rot in our business climate,' he said. 'And you see the cracks in these kinds of lists. If you look at international investment, we are at 41st place, an unprecedentedly low spot. We are struggling with major bottlenecks in the Netherlands: a housing market that is locked down, nitrogen pollution problems and high energy prices.' Flip-flopping on highly-skilled migrant tax breaks does not help, he added: 'We need the expats.' Liberal democrats in Amsterdam are also worried about scapegoating the international community. 'That social cohesion is under pressure is not solely due to the expats,' said Democrats 66 economics spokesman Erik Schmit last week. 'Housing prices are rising: it is not proven that this is solely due to the international community…As a government, we have other priorities.' But after constant changes to the 30 per cent highly skilled migrant tax-free allowance and the removal of its non-dom ruling, the Netherlands is increasingly out of favour. New foreign student numbers have plunged, threatening various courses. Data from jobs site Indeed shows a drop of 48 per cent in applications from India and 40 per cent from the UK this year. Emigration appears to have peaked and highly-skilled migrant numbers are tumbling. Britain might have creaking infrastructure and complex regulation, but it is remarkably open and far less corrupt than many of its neighbours. If the Dutch want to drive out innovators, talent and factories with high energy prices, punitive taxes and cultural suspicion – and if southern Europe is busy fighting with tourists – other cities have a chance. Now is the time to declare Britain open for business.

Daily Mail​

12 hours ago

• Daily Mail​

RAY MASSEY: It's a Grand day out for Vauxhall's spacious new SUV

To be fair, I haven't tried the kitchen sink yet, but over hundreds of miles of driving, I've had a good go at squeezing a whole assortment of items into the new Vauxhall Grandland SUV. That includes: supermarket shops, potted shrubs and bags of top soil, compost and bark-chipping, plenty of luggage, golf clubs and trolley, DIY kit from B&Q, and even an Ikea 'Billy' bookshelf – the ultimate test. But it's not just the flexible boot and folding-down rear seats that are a boon in this comfortable five-seater family vehicle. With its contemporary styling, black roof and tinted rear windows, it looks cool, too. This SUV will grow on you, as it did me. Riding on 19-inch wheels, my 136 horsepower Grandland GS hybrid was powered by a 1.2 litre, three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, connected to a 21kW (28hp) electric motor. The GS trim is the middle of three levels between Design and Ultimate. For everyday use, I kept mine in Sport mode – which was jauntier than the other two options of Eco and Normal. With an acceleration from rest to 62mph in 10.2 seconds, and a top speed of 126mph, it achieves a decent lick on faster roads and for cruising long distances on motorways. It's frugal, too: it will start with well over 500 miles of range on a full tank. But generating additional electric power on the move means that it also does more than 50 miles to the gallon. It's surprisingly nimble, too. While the range starts from £34,755, as driven, my SUV was priced at £37,350 – including £700 for the spectrum blue paint. You can shop around for finance deals and offers and, after a deposit, you could be paying as little as a few hundred pounds a month. I must admit that when, in Germany last autumn, I first tried out the more powerful 213hp battery-powered Grandland Electric (0 to 62mph in nine seconds and a range of 325 miles) along with the petrol hybrid version, I found the latter a bit underpowered. But having lived with the hybrid for a while on UK roads, I've grown to enjoy its virtues. The folding down rear seats increase load-lugging capacity in the boot from 550 to 1,645 litres Vauxhall may not be the most fashionable of badges, but with plenty of interior space, the sharp, modern face and uncluttered lines of the new Grandland won't disgrace anyone's driveway. The folding down rear seats increase load-lugging capacity in the boot from 550 to 1,645 litres. The shallow V-shaped grille and 'vizor' lights and illuminated Griffin badge and illuminated Vauxhall name on the rear hatch adds to a tidy package. This month Vauxhall launched the new range-topping 325hp Grandland Electric AWD, its first fully electric car with all-wheel drive, which accelerates from 0 to 62mph in 6.1 seconds and has a range of 311 miles. It goes on sale in early Autumn priced from around £43,000. Howay the Leafs! As Sunderland climbs back into football's Premier League alongside rivals Newcastle, Nissan has unveiled its third generation Leaf electric compact SUV at its factory in the north-eastern city. In a vote of confidence in Britain as Nissan makes global cuts, the sportier- looking model will be built at the Sunderland plant with its 6,000-strong workforce. Vote of confidence: Nissan has unveiled its third generation Leaf electric compact SUV Just over five inches shorter but slightly higher and wider than the outgoing model, this new Leaf crossover has sharper looks, up-to-date tech and promises plenty of interior space. It accelerates to 62mph in 7.6 seconds, and Nissan say it can cruise for 200 miles at 80mph (where legal). Two battery options (52kWh and 75kWh) give ranges of 270 miles and 375 miles respectively – the latter getting you from London to the Scottish Borders. Orders begin in autumn ahead of spring deliveries. Expect prices to start from just under £30,000.

Scottish Sun

13 hours ago

• Scottish Sun

Homes Under The Hammer's Martin Roberts gives shock update on hotel project, admitting ‘I have failed on every level'

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WITH total honesty, Homes Under The Hammer presenter Martin Roberts admits: 'For a man who spends all his time telling people to make sure they stick to their budgets and timescales, I have failed on every single level.' Two years ago, the property expert showed The Sun around his own DIY project to turn a run-down Welsh village pub into a top tourist attraction. 8 Homes Under The Hammer presenter Martin Roberts admits his project to renovate a Welsh pub has been a failure Credit: Dan Jones Images 8 The back of the hotel shows a building in dire need of urgent renovation Credit: Huw Evans And just like he does on the hit property show, I asked: 'What is your timescale?' Back then, in spring 2023, Martin was convinced it would take just two years and around half a million pounds to rebuild the Hendrewen Hotel in the Rhondda Valley. So here we are, two years later, and on the outside, the eight-bedroom boozer looks . . . exactly the same. Martin, 61, who has witnessed more than 3,000 property renovations on his BBC daytime show, says: 'I'm still smiling but, oh my word, what a challenge it's been. 'I'll be honest, it's the first commercial property I've ever done. 'There have been lots of residential houses and flats, but commercial properties have a lot more complications. 'I'd say we are 60 per cent of the way there.' But when I ask how soon we can expect the pub to be open, Martin hedges his bets and shrugs: 'I think it's going to come together really quickly in the final few months. 'I'm hopeful for Halloween but Christmas would be good. If not, in time for Easter.' One of the many hold-ups, according to Martin, has been dealing with planners who insist he makes preparations in case the pub in the former mining village of Blaencwm is hit by a once-in-a-century flood. Homes Under the Hammer's Martin Roberts announces new series that's world's away from beloved BBC show He says: 'We've got to do it right, and we will do it right, but unfortunately that means there's lots of hoops to jump through.' It is only three years since Martin was minutes from death and needed an emergency heart op. Doctors who carried out the surgery to drain fluid from the sac surrounding his heart told him in future to choose the easy life and avoid unnecessary stress. That is advice he does not seem to have followed. He could have spent his spare time living at his Rhondda Valley farmhouse — which he bought after falling in love with the area — and enjoying the stunning scenery which is popular with mountain bikers. Instead he decided to seize life and bought the pub lock, stock and barrel — without telling his wife Kirsty. My head is going, 'What the absolute bleep have you done here?' Every single wall was cock-eyed, every single window was falling down. Add to that the small matter of bats nesting in the leaking roof. Martin Roberts In fact, father-of-two Martin thought he had kept the purchase a complete secret, but he reveals: 'My cleaner rang me up one day and said, 'Have you bought the Hendrewen?' 'It turns out her auntie was in the queue at Asda and the woman behind was saying, 'That Martin Roberts has bought the Hendrewen'. 'It's just hysterical because as far as I was concerned I hadn't told anybody, but it was being discussed in Asda.' Martin is making a ten-part documentary series called Oops! I Bought A Pub, which will be shown on ITV next year — or whenever the pub finally opens. But he has also given The Sun an exclusive peek at his architect's visualisations of how the pub will look when the work is finally done — including a wacky upside-down Rolls-Royce suspended from the ceiling in the dining area. 8 Martin has shared an artist's impressions of his ambitious plans to renovate the bar and restaurant Credit: Supplied 8 The bar and hotel aims to employ around 30 locals in one of the most deprived areas in Europe Credit: Supplied As well as a new bar and restaurant, there will be eight bedrooms, all named after hit TV shows. Martin says: 'When I was a travel journalist I probably stayed in hundreds of hotels and often they all looked the same. 'The ones I remember most are those where the rooms felt individual. "So in my hotel I wanted to create rooms that had an individual feel. 'Then I woke up in the middle of the night and suddenly thought, why don't I theme them around what I know and what I'm known for, which is television. 'Each room is themed around a legendary TV show. Obviously we're going to have a Homes Under The Hammer room with lots of memorabilia and funny stuff from the 20 years of the show. 'We're going to have a Doctor Who room, which is very science fiction-y. 'Next Stereophonics' 'A Fawlty Towers room where the light fittings are broken, the wallpaper is hanging off, beds are going to be very creaky and lots of quotes from Fawlty Towers on the walls. 'A Question Of Sport room will have lots of sports memorabilia. 'There will also be a Top Of The Pops room, an Antiques Roadshow room, a Planet Earth room and one that is a tribute to Top Gear. 'I've been collecting things from car boot sales, flea markets and online for the last two years. Now I've got lots of TV memorabilia so these rooms can be decorated in the style of different telly programmes. It's going to be great.' 8 Martin is still optimistic his grand plans will accelerate over the coming months Credit: Supplied When the Hendrewen Hotel does finally open it will employ around 30 locals in one of the most deprived areas in Europe. Teenage students on catering and hospitality management courses will get practical experience working in the pub and in the hotel. Martin says: 'They'll get a chance to run a real-world place. We're going to have a teaching kitchen where celebrity chefs will come along and pass on their cookery skills. 'We're also putting in a stage with lots of musical instruments, which the locals will be able to come and use. 'And we'll have visiting musicians coming along, teaching musical skills to local kids. We might discover the next Stereophonics.' He also has a team of teens aged 15 to 17 working with his tradesmen, learning the skills to be plasterers, carpenters, electricians and plumbers. Martin says: 'By working in the pub, these kids are getting a massive step up the ladder. A lot of their lives have been transformed. 'We've had kids come off drugs. We've had kids who wouldn't get up out of bed in the mornings who are now arriving early to work because they're enjoying it so much. 'These kids have been told by the schools that they're rubbish. They come in, we give them a paintbrush or a trowel and say, 'There's a wall, you've got to work on this'. We teach them, and they walk away, heads held high, a belief in themselves has returned. 'They also walk away with a CSCS card, an industry qualification which shows they've got the safety experience to work on a building site. 'If one day they say working with me was a turning point in their life, I'll be thrilled. 8 Martin plans to create TV themed rooms in the hotel, including one based on Homes Under The Hammer Credit: Supplied 'Village lost its heart' 'Some of the youngsters have given up drugs. We have one lad who struggled to communicate because of a really strong stammer, but he's grown in confidence. 'Now he won't stop talking and his stammer has diminished, which is great to see. 'I was three hours away from death, so I am even more driven to do things, not to make me money — because it's certainly not doing that — but to do some good, and to change lives. 'Because that's what you'll be remembered for, not for having a million pounds in the bank.' He adds: 'Bear in mind that some families around this area have generations of unemployment. It's like breaking a cycle and the kids get to see the joys of working.' 8 Martin has been presenting Homes Under The Hammer for two decades Credit: Lion TV And Martin admits there are still months of hard graft ahead. He says: 'I've broken every single one of my rules! 'I have been driven by my heart. I made the classic error of going, 'It's a little pub, it closed at the start of lockdown, and the village has lost its heart and it needs me'. 'At the same time, my head is going, 'What the absolute bleep have you done here?' Every single wall was cock-eyed, every single window was falling down. Add to that the small matter of bats nesting in the leaking roof. 'It has ups and downs. I still have days when I really struggle with my health. 'This is the thing that just keeps me going. 'I've got people relying on me and I won't let them down. I'm not going to give up.' The last episode of Martin's programme will be the hotel's grand opening. He has already booked the world- famous Treorchy Male Choir and a big-name female celebrity. He says: 'I am absolutely supersizing it for the opening. 'The Valleys will have never seen anything like it." And there's light at the end of his tunnel too... 8 Martin has played a key role in the renovation the tunnel linking the Rhondda and Afan Valleys Credit: Huw Evans THE end is in sight for Martin's other fix-me-up project in the Welsh Valleys. His hotel in Blaencwm sits at one end of an incredible two-mile railway tunnel that has been closed off for more than 60 years. Martin is patron of the campaign to reopen the tunnel, which links the Rhondda and Afan Valleys, and turn it into a major tourist attraction. When it reopens it will be the longest all-year-round-use tunnel in the world for cyclists and walkers. Last week Railway Paths, a charity that restores old railway infrastructure, became a partner in the Rhondda Tunnel, which was used to transport coal from mines in the Valleys to Swansea docks. The £2million restoration could be open in two years. Martin says: 'Now all we want is for the Department for Transport to give us the tunnel. It's not going to cost the UK or the Welsh governments anything. 'The partnership with Railway Paths is a marriage made in heaven. 'This could be the vital step to finally making our dreams and hopes a reality. 'Being the longest continually open walking and cycling tunnel in the world will attract visitors from all around the globe to this area.'