ESG is moving to the heart of property portfolios June 7, 2022 The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the need to transform the spaces where we live, work and socialise. And it’s clear that commercial and residential developers and those working in property finance are becoming keenly focused on sustainability and affordability. Whilst environmental, social and governance (ESG) certainly isn’t new, its principles are vital and it’s imperative [...]
UK government to set out plans for audit watchdog overhaul imminently after years of delays February 14, 2022 UK government ministers will set out their plans to reform regulation of the UK’s auditing industry within the coming weeks, after calls for an overhaul first emerged in 2018 in response to the collapse of UK construction contractor Carillion. The proposals are currently being circulated and are set to be signed off imminently, according to [...]
EY to spend $2bn on improving audits after Wirecard scandal September 9, 2021 EY will invest around $2bn (£1.4bn) over three years to improve the quality of its audits after the high-profile collapse of payments company Wirecard, according to the Financial Times who first reported the news. The funding is part of a larger, and record, $10bn investment plan, announced by EY yesterday, to finance staff training and [...]
KPMG in danger of being banned from bidding for government contracts December 1, 2021 KPMG have been threatened by the government with a ban on bidding for public contracts if there are any more scandals at the Big Four consulting firm, according to reports. The Cabinet Office issued its warning in a letter to KPMG, according to the Financial Times, which first reported the news. The ominous letter, which [...]
Organisational culture: values must be lived for trust to exist November 30, 2021 It is the values and behaviours of individuals that determines the culture within an organisation. If individuals live up to their organisation’s published values this will engender trust among stakeholders. In recent times there has been a decline in public trust and an increase in public scepticism, not just in business but in many of [...]
HSBC’s $94m-a-year audits may not be enough to woo Big Four accountants November 22, 2021 Fears that the UK’s biggest lender will struggle to attract the Big Four accounting firms have been stoked as HSBC prepares to tender the audits of its accounts next year, according to reports. The heads of HSBC reached out to the Big Four auditors but found they were reluctant to bid for the bank’s audits [...]
FRC watchdog probes EY audit of Thomas Cook accounts October 1, 2019 The UK’s financial watchdog has launched an investigation into EY’s audit of Thomas Cook’s last set of financial results. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has started its probe into EY’s audit of the collapsed tour operator’s financial year ending 30 September 2018. Read more: DEBATE: Is Thomas Cook’s boss right to defend his high pay? [...]
Watchdog investigating Deloitte audit of Lookers after £19m vanishes from books March 12, 2021 Britain’s accounting watchdog has opened an investigation into audits conducted by Deloitte of car dealership operator Lookers. The investigation will look at financial statements for the years ended 31 December 2017 and 2018, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) said in a statement. Deloitte said it was taking the investigation seriously and was fully cooperating with [...]
BEIS audit reform proposals coming ‘in next couple of weeks’ January 28, 2021 The BEIS consultation on reforms to the audit sector is understood to be coming out “in the next couple of weeks”, and is expected to be extensive. The consultation will contain detail on the minimum standards for audit committees, among other things that “UK PLC will gasp at”, Scott Knight, head of audit and assurance [...]
Challenger audit firms prep for forced audit separation January 29, 2021 Challenger audit firms are readying themselves for audit separation, a requirement not yet expected of them, but one they see as inevitable in the future. Last summer audit regulator the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) ordered the Big Four firms – Deloitte, KPMG, PwC and EY – to separate their audit units from the rest of their [...]