Petrol prices are inflicting huge pain February 24, 2011 BRITAIN is not quite America, where the price of petrol is one of the most important determinants of who wins elections. But the fact that one litre of unleaded now sets you back a crippling £1.29 is starting to become a major issue for the public here in Britain – and it is also beginning [...]
London flat as weak miners are offset by strong financials February 17, 2011 BRITAIN’S FTSE 100 share index closed slightly higher yesterday, as strong gains from banks offset weaker miners and optimism on corporate earnings outweighed Middle East political concerns. Banks advanced by upbeat broker comment and hopes for further good earnings reports from the sector, and overall sentiment on equities remained fairly positive. The FTSE 100 closed [...]
Unions ready for return to 1970s strikes January 16, 2011 UNIONS are preparing to plunge Britain into a period of 1970s-style industrial unrest with a spring general strike. The general secretaries of Britain’s unions will attend a Trade Union Congress (TUC) meeting on 28 January to discuss the possibility and mechanics of bringing Britain to a halt through coordinated industrial action. The unions hope to [...]
Service sector morale hit by consumer slump November 28, 2010 CONSUMER service businesses such as bars and restaurants are suffering from sluggish demand, according to a survey released today. Optimism plummeted 22 percentage points among consumer service executives, who have seen the value and volume of their businesses hit. Employers’ organisation the CBI surveyed 169 service sector firms, covering both consumer services and professional services [...]
CBI: Britain needs tougher strike laws and flexi working June 20, 2010 TOUGHER INDUSTRIAL relations and flexible working are among some of the measures proposed today by the CBI to maintain Britain’s job market. A report by the business advocacy group unveiled a number of measures the government should adopt, including blocking regulations that will cost jobs, taking a tougher stance on industrial action and enforcing flexible [...]
Property start-up close to buying Centre Point from administrator December 19, 2010 NEW property developer Almacantar is on the verge of buying the Centre Point skyscraper in the West End, according to sources close to the firm. Almacantar, which was set up by former Land Securities executive Mike Hussey in 2009, is set to announce as soon as today that it has entered talks with administrator Deloitte [...]
CBI: Cuts must bear down on public sector June 9, 2010 BRITAIN’S huge deficit should be tackled with £4 in spending cuts for every £1 in tax hikes, the CBI said. In a letter to Chancellor George Osborne yesterday ahead of the emergency Budget on 22 June, the CBI warned that the public finances should be repaired without damaging growth prospects. It called for a shake-up [...]
FROM CITY HIRING TO RURAL PIG FARMING January 31, 2011 WITH the CBI issuing an invocation to the government to sow the green shoots of new growth in the economy, some City folk are taking the order rather literally. Mike Ogilvie, managing director of City executive search firm Ogilvie Search, will be pulling on a pair of wellies along with his wife to take part [...]
CBI: caution hits service sector firms May 31, 2010 SERVICE sector firms saw their profits and sales tumble during the first three months of the year, according to a quarterly survey from the CBI published today. In a further disappointment for the sector, which has struggled to recover after the recession, the survey shows that firms selling services to consumers saw their volumes of [...]
Still not enough women directors of FTSE firms December 1, 2010 BUSINESS groups reacted with disappointment to the news that only 12.5 per cent of FTSE 100 company board directors were women yesterday. Penny de Valk, chief executive of the Institute of Leadership & Management, reacted to research from Cranfield University saying government enforced quotas were by no means an ideal solution but would soon become [...]