Osborne, pushing devolution, to give towns more tax powers

British Chancellor George Osborne has stepped up his push to transfer more power to English town halls, saying he will allow them to keep all revenues from a tax on business and let the biggest cities raise more money for infrastructure spending. Osborne, who has sought to reverse the centralisation of power in Westminster, said in a speech that the change would allow 26 billion pounds raised in business rates to stay in the hands of local councils each year by 2020. Such cities represent a powe