Alliance Trust appoints Lord Smith of Kelvin as new chairman January 14, 2016 Alliance Trust has appointed Lord Smith of Kelvin as its new chairman, following a shake up of its senior team last year. Smith, who is currently chairman of UK Green Investment Bank, Forth Ports Limited and IMI, will take up his position on 1 February. He takes over from Karin Forseke, who stepped down at the start [...]
UK weather: Dreaming of a White Easter? Snow in March or April is more likely than at Christmas – but probably won’t happen this year March 15, 2016 In recent weeks we have seen headlines which would lead us to think that the weather forecast for this Easter could be one of two extremes. On the one hand “sudden stratospheric warming” could bring bank holiday snow and sub-zero temperatures – and on the other, you could believe that Britain is “set for a heatwave” with highs [...]
RBS puts chief exec in place ahead of Williams & Glyn float April 28, 2015 ROYAL bank of Scotland has appointed Jim Brown as chief executive of Williams & Glyn, the company’s new UK challenger bank. Brown is currently boss of RBS’ Irish business and will replace John Maltby. Williams & Glyn comprises 314 branches and is focussed on lending to small businesses. Brown is best knowns for turning around [...]
City Moves for 2 June 2015 | Who’s switching jobs June 1, 2015 DTZ The commercial real estate services provider has announced three appointments to its data centres team. Mark Trevor joins as senior director, Begoña Cerdan joins as a director, and Michael Hunter joins as an associate director in its London office. Lloyds Bank Andrew Charnley has been appointed regional head of the trade and working capital [...]
Cala Group calls on government to tackle housing crisis by building more family homes March 7, 2016 Cala Group, has urged the government tackle the country's housing crisis by addressing the need for larger family homes, as the housebuilder forecast another year of record profits. The Edinburgh-based group, which builds high-end homes in affluent areas in the south of England as well as Scotland, said the government's increased focus on affordable housing and first time buyers was "misguided" [...]
EU students fill gaps at UK universities as home applications fall February 4, 2016 There is a rising number of EU students applying to spots at UK universities, while the number of home applications is falling, new figures have revealed. Statistics published by Ucas, the university admissions service, show 45,220 EU students applied for a place at a UK university starting this autumn, up six per cent on the number that [...]
Aberdeen handed £250m government fund as oil price continues to fall January 28, 2016 One of the UK's most oil-focused cities has been handed a £250m fund by the government, as the price of oil continues to fall. This morning the government announced a £250m UK City Deal fund, which will support North Sea explorers to exploit reserves. The fund will also be put towards expanding Aberdeen harbour, meaning [...]
Mansion House Speech 2015: Chancellor George Osborne will start government RBS sell off as soon as possible June 10, 2015 In his annual Mansion House Speech this evening, chancellor George Osborne announced that the government will begin to sell off its stake in the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), even is it is at a loss. He said a “decision point” had been reached, and that it was in the interest of taxpayers to [...]
London and the East lift UK economic growth as Scotland and the North East contract December 14, 2015 London was the second fastest growing region of the economy last month, according to a new business survey. Lloyds Bank’s regional purchasing managers’ index (PMI) scored 57 for London, above the 50 level that signals no change in business activity on the previous month. While it mark a slowdown in London’s economic growth – Octobers [...]
George Osborne’s great government sell-off: Taxpayers risk getting burnt as sun may yet shine on RBS June 10, 2015 So after almost seven years, the moment has arrived. The symbolic importance of George Osborne’s announcement last night that the Treasury is to begin selling Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) shares at a loss is hard to overstate. “I’m not interested in what is easy – I’m interested in what is right,” he told [...]