By
Geoff Foster

PUBLISHED:

16:09 EST, 23 Apr 2012

|

UPDATED:

16:09 EST, 23 Apr 2012

You need nerves of steel to circle and deal
in a seat-of-your pants youth oil market.

Punters were as happy as Larry as shares of
Kurdistan-focused path-finder Gulf Keystone
Petroleum, that have traded between wide
extremes of 5p and 465p over a past few
years, gushed to 239p before shutting 24p
higher during 235p following a certain good test.

The association suggested that a contrast programme
on Shaikan-4 in a Kurdistan
region of Iraq has been finished and results
are improved than had been expected. It
achieved sum limit total flow
rates of 24,000 barrels of oil per day.

Broker Canaccord Genuity upgraded to hold
from sell, observant it was a certain development
especially given a singular 14,000 barrels of oil
per day upsurge rate achieved from Sargelu. This
is a largest exam outcome to date.

It helped a flighty batch redeem from last
week’s basin caused by ExxonMobil’s
barring from a subsequent Iraqi bid round. Optimists
now wish that Exxon launches a bid for
Gulf Keystone as a probable approach into Iraq.

Afren, that final week announced a significant
oil find in Kurdistan, strew 9.7p to 140.3p
on profit-taking.

Following final week’s fantastic doubling
of a share cost to 130p, Borders Southern
desperately indispensable to news that its
Darwin scrutiny good in a Falklands had
struck oil. Oops! The energetically awaited report
showed no traces of black bullion though usually a
‘significant gas condensate discovery’.

The smell of burnt fingers immediately
wafted around traffic bedrooms as a shares
crashed to 85.75p before finale 41.5p or 32 per cent reduce during 89.5p. Punters moaned that a gas
discovery is technical and it could be a long
time before a find is commercialised. Events
over a past week or so has really left a
nasty smell. Broker Merchant Securities
added: ‘The existence unfortunately didn’t
match a speculation. There’s no glass richness
commentary, no scale data, and no mention
of a sidetrack. In a view, a thing for
investors to do now is to switch into Falkland
Oil Gas (13.75p easier during 80p), that at
least still has a possibility of encountering oil.’

Other rarely suppositional Falkland stocks
moved south with Rockhopper Exploration
down 10.25p during 341.5p and Desire Petroleum
1.75p cheaper during 27.75p

.
Elsewhere, dealers indispensable a stiffer top lip
on St George’s Day as stockmarkets on both
sides of a Atlantic fell neatly as political
turmoil in a eurozone stirred nervous
selling. The Footsie mislaid 106.58 points to
5,665.57 and a FTSE 250 forsaken 263.23 to
11,181.62. There are flourishing fears that should
French boss Nicolas Sarkozy remove the
French choosing to revolutionary personality Francois
Hollande, it will break his settle with German
chancellor, Angela Merkel, and destabalise
Europe.

Adding to a altogether doubt was political
instability in Holland and worries that
the Netherlands could remove a triple A credit
rating after a Dutch cupboard resigned.

Prime apportion Mark Rutte unsuccessful to gain
support for €14billion to €16billion value of budget
cuts. An choosing could now be on a cards.

Wall Street didn’t assistance London’s cause,
opening around 170 points lower. Retailing
giant Wal-Mart, that owns Asda, featured
with an early tumble of 5 per cent following allegations
in a US press that Wal-Mart’s representatives
in Mexico bribed internal officials to get
stores non-stop faster.

Rupert Murdoch’s satellite TV group
BSkyB resisted a malaise, adding 4.5p to
679p. Buyers nibbled divided following a report
that Al Jazeera would not be behest for
rights to uncover Premiership football.

Reflecting a weaker marketplace trend, insurance
giant Prudential declined 37p to 725.5p.

Selling forward of Friday’s AGM and firstquarter
figures dragged Barclays 9p reduce to
204.55p. Renewed offered following a embarrassing
accounting cock-up saw fashion
retailer SuperGroup hold 325.3p and close
16.8p down during 335p. Broker Singer Capital
reckons until certainty in forecasts and
management’s ability to broach on reliable
expectations materially improves a stock
has turn uninvestable. Its aim cost is
320p.

Rolls-Royce strew 16.5p to 815.5p despite
the organisation being awarded a £371million contract
with a US Department of Defence for 268
AE 1107C engines for US Marine Corps and
Air Force V-22 aircraft. In a initial year, the
group will broach 70 engines valued during £94million.

Shares of machine-gun builder Manroy,
11.5p off during 83.5p, were shot down by the
company’s acknowledgment it has unsuccessful to confirm
an £8million contract.

The check in securing a understanding will meant its
2012 formula would be hit. Revenues for the
year to end-September 2012 was now
expected to be in a segment of £7.5million against
market expectations of £11.3million.

- Analysts reckon it’s not a matter of if, but
when, Apple bids for Imagination Technologies
– 9p easier during 673.5p. The association designs
chips for a US giant’s mobile inclination and is
an apparent target. Meanwhile, a further
licence agreement with Qualcomm
Incorporated has been signed. Peel Hunt says
further rendezvous with Qualcomm, its
largest aspirant in graphics is positive. The
broker’s aim cost is 815p.

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ATM crime is on the rise in Britain, with criminals using advanced technology to obtain cardholders’ bank details.

Millions of pounds are stolen from customers every single month, and police in London expect to see a sharp rise during the Olympic Games this summer.

“The criminals constantly try and evolve their technology to beat the technology the banks put in place. It’s a constant battle to try and work out where the criminal is going next,” said DCI Paul Barnard, head of The Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit.

Improved security by banks has meant there has been a significant reduction in cash machine fraud during the past year. Cash machine fraud fell by 12% to £29.3 million last year from £33.2 million in 2010.

But it is still an ongoing problem, and officers are warning that there could be as many as 1,000 cash-point gangs still operating in the UK.

The majority of cash machine fraud is committed by one nationality, which has something of a monopoly on the trade.

“The fact is 92% of all ATM fraud we see in this country is committed by Romanian nationals. Very, very tight communities, very tight gangs,” added DCI Barnard.

The gangs use a number of different techniques to obtain the bank details of cardholders, from hidden cameras recording a PIN to even constructing entire ATM fascias.

“Although cash card fraud has decreased in the past year, it is still an issue that cardholders need to be aware of,” said a spokesman for Financial Fraud Action UK.

“If they think a card machine has been tampered with, they should immediately end the transaction and use an alternative ATM.”

The most common type of cash machine fraud is skimming, whereby a device is fitted to the machine which reads a customer’s bank details. The details are put on another card, and the thieves use the recording of the PIN to withdraw money.

“If you spot any transactions you didn’t make, contact your card issuer immediately,” added the Financial Fraud Action UK spokesman.

“If you are the innocent victim of card fraud you have legal protection and should not suffer any financial loss.”

A good way to protect yourself from fraud is by using a prepaid card. These are not tied to a bank account and have a specified amount on them, so you won’t see your account drained should it be stolen.

Related posts:

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3. Travelling Around Europe With Prepaid Euro Cards
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5. Google Re-enable Prepaid Credit Card Feature for New Application

Prepaid Buzz

By
This Is Money Reporters

PUBLISHED:

03:30 EST, 21 Mar 2012

|

UPDATED:

07:39 EST, 21 Mar 2012

12.35: The FTSE 100 was forward 5.2 points during 5,896.6 as Chancellor George Osborne got to his feet in a Commons to broach this year’s Budget.

11.00:

A brief convene on a FTSE 100 has already run out of steam and a index is only 8.1 points aloft during 5,899.5 in late morning trading.

But a mood is still some-more certain following yesterday’s unemployment on worries over a probable slack in Chinese mercantile growth.

Better-than-expected sales sum from supermarket hulk Sainsbury’s have helped sell stocks.

The firm’s shares were adult by 6.7p to 312.1p after it announced like-for-like sales incompatible fuel rose 2.6 per cent in a 10 weeks to Mar 17, violence City hopes of a arise of around 2.1 per cent. Read some-more here.

Budget watch: Chancellor’s debate is a centrepiece of events today

Other risers enclosed Marks Spencer, that was 7.95p aloft during 387.85p in a arise of a Sainsbury’s figures, while in a FTSE 250 Debenhams climbed for a second event in a quarrel following a clever refurbish yesterday.

Its shares were 3 per cent or 2.55p aloft during 79.1p, alongside a arise of 14.75p to 509.25p for homewares organisation Dunelm.

The alleviation in a sell zone came notwithstanding another blow in a presence hopes of Game Group, that has requested a cessation of a shares after revelation a business has no value.

Trading halted with a batch during 2.4p, giving a association a marketplace value of only £8million. Read some-more here.

Simon Denham of Capital Spreads pronounced of today’s marketplace action: ‘Yesterday’s sell-off so distant looks once again to be a shopping event for a bulls though with a index stability to destroy around a midst 5900s and nonetheless to mangle by 6000 a disposition looks to be in foster of insurgency levels.

‘On a one palm investors have to cruise a fact that now even mining bonds are voicing their regard about a Chinese economy, though on a other a U.S. is still display signs of a recuperating economy that could be sustainable. 

‘These dual counteracting factors are causing a indices to go sideways.’

8.30:

European markets have non-stop in certain territory, holding behind some of a belligerent mislaid in yesterday’s sell-off.

The FTSE 100 is forward 20.6 points during 5,912.1 while Germany’s DAX is adult 45 points during 7,099.9 and France’s CAC 40 is 29.6 points aloft during 3,560.4.

Preview: The FTSE 100 is foresee to open adult 2-8 points on a day of a Budget.

Chancellor George Osborne looks set to obstruct courtesy from a state
of a economy with politically-driven taxation measures, aiming to appease
both parties in a statute Coalition and keep financial markets onside.
   

Mindful of a risk that a nation could remove a cherished top-notch
credit rating, Mr Osborne has pronounced he would not alleviate an austerity
package of spending cuts and taxation hikes.    

The benchmark Footsie index slumped 69.70 points to 5,891.41 yesterday, dragged down by miners as BHP Billiton warned of a slack in direct from China, denting investors’ ardour for unsure assets.

‘Yesterday concerns per a expansion generated by China led to equity markets offered off nonetheless improved than approaching housing information from a U.S. helped to rage a losses,’ pronounced Gary Jenkins of Swordfish Research.

‘That is substantially how a settlement will continue with opposing signals heading to sensitivity until a trends in expansion turn some-more certain.’

Details of how a Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted in their new assembly to confirm on seductiveness rates and quantitative easing will be expelled later, with a unanimous opinion in foster of gripping seductiveness rates during record lows and no serve quantitative easing expected.   

British acceleration might be somewhat aloft this year and subsequent than a Bank of England foresee final month, due to a hazard of aloft oil prices and diseased capability growth, BoE arch economist Spencer Dale pronounced yesterday.

His comments reinforced expectations that a Bank of England will not extend a programme of quantitative easing when a stream turn is finished in May.     

Public zone net borrowing (PSNB) sum for Feb are also due later. Britain posted a largest bill over-abundance in 4 years in January.

In corporate news, Formula One (F1), a tip tellurian engine racing series, is deliberation options for a batch marketplace listing, a source told Reuters, as media reports named Singapore as a elite plcae for a float.    

Ex-dividend factors will take 3.1 points off FTSE 100, with Aviva, InterContinental Hotels, Smiths Group and Standard Life all losing their payout attractions.   

Stocks to watch currently include:

Banks: European banks are scheming a new form of securitised car bundling together loans to commodity trade houses to try to solve a credit break in a line industry, a Financial Times reported.   

Royal Bank of Scotland: More than dual thirds of London’s account managers contend they would not buy a state’s shares in Royal Bank of Scotland if they were sole during a UK government’s break-even cost of 50 pence, according to a consult of 200 heading account managers, a Telegraph said.   

J Sainsbury: In a trade update, a UK grocer pronounced fourth-quarter like-for-like sales rose 2.6 per cent, with a summer events such as a Olympics and football’s Euro 2012 to underpin a growth, though a mercantile sourroundings is expected to sojourn challenging.   

Collins Stewart Hawkpoint: Nearly 100 staff will be done surplus when Canaccord Financial completes a merger of Collins Stewart Hawkpoint, as London’s stockbroking attention continues to strew capacity, a Financial Times reported.   

Mobile telecoms sector: A conflict has damaged out between Apple and a opposition smartphone makers over a customary attention template for tiny SIM cards for a subsequent era of slimmer handsets, a Financial Times said.   

Comet: The new owners of Comet has sensitively hoisted a “for sale” pointer above a third of a stores, as a electrical chain’s landlords ready for a turn of break talks with OpCapita, a turnaround organisation that bought a sequence for £2 this year, according to a Times.   

Ted Baker: The conform retailer’s full-year increase rose somewhat compared to 2011, augmenting 0.1 per cent, on sell sales adult 14.1 per cent on a year, while a organisation increasing a sum division by 13.6 per cent to 23.4 pence. 

Eurasian Natural Resources: The miner reported a 7 per cent arise in full-year 2011 increase on revenues adult 17 per cent, though benefit per share fell 10 per cent due to a one-off benefit in 2010.    

IQE: The organisation posted aloft 2011 full-year distinction with pre-tax distinction adult 9 per cent to £6.9million on revenues adult 4 per cent, and pronounced it remained good positioned for growth.

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By
This Is Money Reporter

Last updated during 12:18 PM on 8th Mar 2012

Morrisons pronounced a sales devise in an ongoing cost fight with rival
supermarkets was profitable off as annual increase absolutely kick a City’s expectations.

Chief executive Dalton Philips pronounced Morrisons’ bill M Savers operation had
received a clever response, and in a sideswipe opposite competitors claimed that his supermarket charity ‘promotions that customers
understood’.

It has been appealing to shoppers by giving divided money-off vouchers for
petrol while a Price Crunch discounting initiatives and new operation of
ready dishes are advertised by former England cricketer Andrew Flintoff.

Battle for customers: Morrisons has given divided money-off vouchers for petrol and run Price Crunch discounting initiatives

The association highlighted a arise of ‘the veteran shopper’ – those who hunt out and share information online on a best deals – over a past ‘six to 8 months’.

CEO Philips told a BBC:  ‘They are business who are spending to a specific bill – they are spending some-more time cooking during home, so cooking from scratch. And they are cheering about a bargains that they see out there, going onto amicable media checking for them and communicating them.’

Tesco sparked a conflict with a competitors final Sep when it denounced a Big Price Drop campaign, call Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons to follow suit.

Morrisons delivered an 8 per cent arise in underlying pre-tax increase to £935million in a year to Jan 29, as like-for-like sales incompatible fuel and VAT rose by 1.8 per cent. The City had approaching increase of around £922 million.

Turnover was adult 7 per cent to £17.7billion and a sum division for a year was hiked 11 per cent to 10.7p.

Shares in Morrisons were adult 6.55p during 291.35p in early morning trading.

Despite a swell in profits, Morrisons has seen negligence enlargement in new months with clever like-for-like sales enlargement in a initial 3 buliding of a financial year vanishing to 0.7 per cent in a 6 weeks to Jan 1.

Figures from Kantar Worldpanel showed a Bradford-based company’s marketplace share fell somewhat to 12.2 per cent in a 12 weeks to Feb 19.

Morrisons, that has 455 stores in a UK, affianced to hurl out smaller preference formats via 2012 after a successful hearing of 3 stores final year.

However, there was still no transformation on a online plans, that are not approaching to be suggested until a finish of a stream financial year subsequent January.

Looking ahead, Mr Philips, who took over when Marc Bolland assimilated Marks Spencer, said: ‘We know that 2012 will be tough, and we will be operative tough to broach even improved value for a customers.

The organisation skeleton to spend around £1.7million per store on revamping a supermarket’s uninformed food offering, after a successful hearing in 12 stores in a UK.

The grocer pronounced a store-opening skeleton were on lane with 700,000 block feet of space set to be non-stop in a stream financial year, compared with 643,000 block feet in a final year, or 37 new stores.

This will embody new preference formats – M Local – that have an normal distance of around 8,000 block feet.

Morrisons has also bought stores from wiring tradesman BestBuy’s unsuccessful UK venture, that it will use as superstores for a Kiddicare brand, that especially trades on a internet.

View from a City

‘It’s positively a good bid from Morrisons: hats off to government for sailing a association by tough times,’ pronounced attorney Oriel Securities.

‘Morrisons’ rough formula are positively clever and uncover good domain government in straitened times. Life will get worse in a zone yet and tongue stays some-more of a “wait and see” inlet so we would use any strength in a shares as a serve offered opportunity.’

Nick Bubb, eccentric sell analyst, pronounced a final formula are ‘a bit improved than expected’.

He said: ‘The simple summary is that, interjection to capability work, increase this year will not be unduly hold behind by a roll-out devise for a new preference store sequence and a large enlargement of Kiddicare.’

Stock trend: Morrisons shares have seen choppy trade over a past year

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By
Linda Mckay

Last updated during 12:21 PM on 8th Mar 2012

I have only perceived my subsequent H2O check for a year and a cost has shot up. we only don’t know if we can means it. we live by myself in a two-bedroom house. Will we save income over subsequent year if we get a scale installed?

Up: Ofwat has likely a standard H2O check will arise to £376 for a year

Linda Mckay, of Thisismoney, replies: The white envelopes containing a bad news we perceived this week will be delivered to roughly each domicile in Britain.
Ofwat, a attention watchdog, has already likely a standard check will arise to £376 for a year.

Soaring gas and electricity bills have played massacre with family finances and with H2O charges set to boost on normal 5.7 per cent opposite a nation from a commencement of April. we asked a experts to put brazen some options for you.

Ofwat says:
Customers of Essex Water and Southern Water will face a biggest jump
in prices – 13 per cent over a 2010 to 2015 duration incompatible inflation
- with Bristol Water’s bills adult 7 per cent. The increases are a result
of a Government permitting a attention to couple changes to a retail
price index (RPI) magnitude of acceleration as it stood in November.

The impact of a new charges will
vary for households depending on a association that reserve them and
whether or not they have a H2O meter.

The Consumer Council for
Water offered this advice: A singular chairman could save adult to £100 a year
by carrying a meter. Charges differ around a UK though a average
consumption for dual people per year in a skill is about 110 cubic
metres (110,000 litres) during a cost of around 1p for 10 litres.
The normal daily cost to a home is about 94p for supply and 0.23p for
sewage removal. A showering (using 35 to 40 litres, costing about 9p) is
about 50 per cent cheaper than a bath (at slightest 80 litres or 140 litres
for a large one).

Water scale designation is giveaway and
if someone finds their costs arise after carrying one commissioned afterwards they
have a year in that to ask to go behind to unmetered charging.
The CCW has a calculator on a website so we can simply work out your
usage ccwater.org.uk.

Customers like your reader facing
higher prices are suggested to get in hold with their H2O supply
company; they might be means to offer remuneration options and budgeting
arrangements to fit sold circumstances.
Your reader should positively consider:

• Exercising a right to compensate by meter. This might give a large saving if he/she uses small water.
• Enquiring about a aspect water
  rebate. There is a £37 remission for properties where aspect H2O does
  not empty into a company’s sewer.
• Enquiring about reduce charges for
  those who accept certain state benefits, or use above normal amounts
  of H2O for medical purposes.

Your reader should hit their H2O association for some-more sum if they would like some-more information about all of these options.

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By
Jeff Prestridge

Last updated during 11:55 AM on 5th Mar 2012

The Personal Finance Editor of a Mail on Sunday on a options open to Halifax borrowers (or a miss of them).

Today is a third anniversary of a Bank of England dropping a bottom rate to 0.5 per cent, with no  boost approaching soon.

But that has not stopped Halifax currently announcing a poignant arise in a customary non-static debt rate.

Typical SVRs for a biggest lenders

From a commencement of May it will arise from 3.5 per cent to 3.99 per cent. About 850,000 borrowers will see repayments jump. It means someone with a £150,000 amends debt over 25 years will compensate £39.99 a month some-more – £790.93 instead of £750.94.

The boost is bad news (Royal Bank of Scotland  has also ticked adult rates),  though Halifax should not be criticised too harshly. Even 3.99 per cent compares good with a SVRs of many rivals.

Santander has an SVR of  4.24 per cent and, among a building societies, Skipton  charges 4.95 per cent, Yorkshire 4.99 per cent and Leeds 5.69 per cent. Many other internal building societies have SVRs above 5.5 per cent.

David Hollingworth of London Country Mortgages says Halifax’s pierce shows how ‘fragile appropriation conditions are for lenders’. He thinks others will follow a lead  of Halifax and RBS.

Many borrowers on SVRs, including those unprotected to a new Halifax rate, could strengthen themselves from serve rate increases by remortgaging.

Hollingworth says there are  a series of fixed-rate deals, accessible from a Post Office and Hanley Economic and Nottingham building societies, for example. These charge, respectively, 3.09 per cent  and 3.34 per cent (for dual years) and 3.19 per cent  (for 5 years).

But borrowers will need sufficient equity to qualify  and will have to cause in remortgaging costs.

However, for some there  are assets to be made.

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By
Jade Gamlin

Last updated during 11:22 AM on 29th Feb 2012

Refusing to budge: Councils are forcing by legislature taxation rises notwithstanding a appropriation boost from Central Government that was ostensible to assistance them solidify a internal tax.

The series of councils in England that
have reliable they will lift legislature taxation in rebuttal of a
Government-ordered solidify has risen to 35.

Councils have until a center of Mar to set their legislature taxation rates for a entrance year and augmenting numbers have reliable they will take some-more from households.

Nine are proposing a travel of 3.5 per cent – a top boost probable before councils contingency secure subsidy for a arise around a internal referendum.

Under manners introduced final year, any management perplexing to pull by a travel of some-more than 3.5 per cent contingency have it authorized by voters.

A arise during this turn would supplement £42 to a normal annual legislature taxation check of £1,200.

The 9 embody Preston, Stockton-On-Tees, Darlington, Chesterfield, Middlesbrough, Leicester City and Huntingdonshire.

Huntingdonshire District Council is a initial Conservative legislature to select a limit amount.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has led critique of a practice, accusing councilors of ‘cynically’ environment rises during levels usually next a referendum trigger indicate

The infancy of internal authorities have selected to solidify rates though some, like a Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, are slicing rates.

Scarborough precinct legislature and Taunton Deane precinct legislature both formerly due to lift legislature taxation though have now publicly settled that they intend to solidify it.

It is a second year using that internal authorities have been asked to solidify legislature tax. Last year roughly each legislature celebrated a freeze. The bloc supervision lifted appropriation to councils by 2.5 per cent to assistance them cope.

Around 30 councils have nonetheless to announce their intentions and have usually a fortnight to do so.

TOWN HALLS RAISING COUNCIL TAX

Preston City Council (Lab)    3.50%

Stockton-On-Tees Borough (Lab)     3.50%

Darlington BC (Lab)     3.50%

Chesterfield BC (Lab)     3.50%

Middlesbrough (Lab)     3.50%

Leicester City (Lab)     3.50%

Redcar Cleveland Borough (Lab)     3.50%

Babergh District Council (NOC)    3.50%

Huntingdonshire District Council (Con)    3.50%

Stoke-on-Trent City (Lab)     3.49%

Barrow BC (Lab)     3.49%

North Dorset (Con)     3.49%

Gravesham BC (Lab)     3.48%

Dover DC (Con)     3.45%

Luton BC (Lab)     3.44%

Nottingham City (Lab)     3.40%

Gedling Borough (Lab)     3.40%

Lichfied Distrcit Council (Con)     3.40%

Tunbridge Wells BC (Con)     3.30%

Richmondshire (Lib/Ind)     3%

Surrey County (Con)     2.99%

Cambridgeshire County (Con)     2.95%

Peterborough City (Con)     2.95%

East Cambridgeshire (Con)     2.95%

York City (Lab)     2.90%

Tonbridge and Malling (Con)    2.90%

Allerdale BC (Lab)     2.90%

St Helens  Council (Lab)     2.90%

South Hams (Con)     2.50%

West Devon (Con)     2.50%

South Ribble BC (Con)     2.50%

Epsom Ewell BC (NOC)     2.50%

Telford and Wrekin Council (Lab)    2.50%

East Hampshire DC (Con)     2.50%

Chelmsford Borough (Con)     2.46%

Source: The Taxpayers’ Alliance

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