Cameron hints at softer migrant cap October 25, 2010 DAVID Cameron yesterday gave his strongest hint yet that a new immigration cap would not stop firms from recruiting highly-skilled foreign talent. Business leaders have been lobbying the government relentlessly over the issue, after a temporary cap – which put a limit of 24,000 on non-EU workers – caused huge problems for firms. In his [...]
IoD slates regulation plan September 28, 2010 THE Institute of Directors (IoD) yesterday became the latest organisation to join the London Stock Exchange (LSE) in opposing the merger of the Financial Reporting Council and the UK Listing Authority (UKLA). In a statement, Miles Templeman, director-general of the IoD, said it made no “sense to leave the UKLA separate from the body [the [...]
CBI TO FOCUS?ON CREATIVE INDUSTRIES March 9, 2010 CBI president Helen Alexander has vowed to help the beleaguered creative industries over the next five years. She said yesterday the CBI would focus on issues such as piracy and protecting intellectual property, regulation, tax, education and skills, as well as helping provide finance to the industry.
UKFI to delay bank stake sale to influence lending October 25, 2010 PRIME Minister David Cameron yesterday indicated that the government will opt to retain its stakes in the banks for a while longer in order to influence their SME (small and medium sized enterprise) lending policies, rather than selling them off as soon as possible to maximise value for the taxpayer. Cameron, speaking at the CBI’s [...]
Output grows as retail sales start to slow September 16, 2010 RETAIL sales suffered a surprise drop of 0.5 per cent in August, but manufacturers remained upbeat about demand for next month, official figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) and the CBI respectively showed yesterday. The fall in retail sales was the first in over six months when the unusually cold winter put shoppers [...]
King hints at possibility of further QE October 19, 2010 BANK OF ENGLAND governor Mervyn King yesterday signalled that he was open to a second round of quantitative easing to support growth and keep inflation close to target, but a leading economic think-tank will warn today that monetary policy could become too loose in response to overly-tight fiscal policy. In a speech in the West [...]
Gulf disaster to loom over BP earnings October 31, 2010 OIL giant BP is expected to trail behind its peers when it posts third quarter results tomorrow, with the effects of the Gulf of Mexico spill set to dominate the firm’s results and future plans. Consensus forecasts predict replacement cost profit, which strips out changes in oil prices, of $4.6bn (£2.8bn) for the three months [...]
The anti-business secretary September 22, 2010 It sounded like a speech from the opposition. Not a member of the government. He is secretary of state for business. This is exactly the sort of talk that frightens away foreign investment. Lord Myners, former Labour City minister He obviously feels he needs to pander to the more socialist elements among the Lib Dems. [...]
CITY VIEWS: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE TUBE STRIKE? September 6, 2010 JOHN CRIDLAND | CBI “It is disappointing that the RMT and TSSA have decided to go ahead with this strike, which will disrupt London at work. It will cause misery and disruption to the general public and to employers.” COLIN STANBRIDGE | LCCI “Londoners will still struggle in to work, aided by the additional transport [...]
Ex Cadbury boss: Let’s query overseas bids October 21, 2010 FORMER Cadbury chair Roger Carr yesterday called on the government to rethink its free-market stance on foreign takeovers, after the Takeover Panel recommended only modest reforms to UK rules. Carr, who initiated a heated debate over the scope of the Takeover Code after US food giant Kraft’s acquisition of Cadbury, said the Panel had tackled [...]