The City is back but under new management December 21, 2010 BRITAIN’S financial landscape has been transformed since we last shone a light on the City’s most powerful figures two years ago. The City A.M./CityJet Power Hundred 2011 list ranks the most influential figures in UK finance as we head into the new year. It should be no surprise that it is very different from 2009. [...]
ECONOMIC DIARY February 7, 2010 AFTER the Bank of England announced that it would be pausing, at least for now, its quantitative easing policy, the big event in the UK this week will be the quarterly inflation report on Wednesday morning. The Bank is expected to revise down its growth forecast while revising up its inflation predictions and will give [...]
CBI calls for stay-at-home pay July 5, 2009 Industry leaders have suggested new legislation allowing firms to pay staff small amounts to stay at home for a fixed period, instead of making them redundant. The “Alternative to Redundancy” proposals by the CBI of a low-paid “limbo” for staff would allow firms to retain employees rather than losing them altogether when times get tough. [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING January 25, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES CHAIRMAN OF HSBC HITS AT BIG BONUSES Stephen Green, chairman of HSBC and British Bankers’ Association, has hit out at the inflated level and distorted structure of bonuses, predicting future pay-outs will be lower and more rationally calculated. In a video interview with the FT, published on the eve of the World Economic [...]
CBIcalling for global carbon trading plan December 6, 2009 BUSINESS body the CBI is set to call for a global carbon trading scheme today, as the UN’s climate change talks kick off in Copenhagen. The group will argue the case for a scheme to cap emissions, and to allow firms worldwide to buy permits for carbon – like the EU Emissions Trading Scheme – [...]
Britain seen exiting slump but still weak January 24, 2010 AFTER months of lingering in recession, the UK is expected to have finally exited recession in the last three months of 2009, according to official figures due out tomorrow. But while the country may be rejoicing that the longest and deepest post-war recession is over, economists warned that the preliminary estimate would still be subject [...]
Retail sales fall dampens hopes of festive boost December 17, 2009 The Christmas shopping season has got off to a slow start, with retailers reporting a fall in sales volumes in November, dampening hopes of a bumper festive period on the high street. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that retail sales volumes unexpectedly fell by 0.3 per cent in November. Department stores [...]
Retail sales fall dampens hopes of festive boost December 17, 2009 The Christmas shopping season has got off to a slow start, with retailers reporting a fall in sales volumes in November, dampening hopes of a bumper festive period on the high street. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that retail sales volumes unexpectedly fell by 0.3 per cent in November. Department stores [...]
City workers slam class war Budget March 24, 2010 THE City was left unconvinced by yesterday’s Budget, slamming Darling for failing to provide a clear outline on how the government was planning to reduce its huge deficit. Banks were being sent a contradictory message, critics said, pointing out that Darling has asked nationalised banks such as Lloyds and the Royal Bank of Scotland to [...]
Pensions burden prevents firms from restructuring for recovery December 6, 2009 DEFICIT payments on final salary pensions have damaged restructuring and recovery plans for more than a third of firms, double the number compared to 2007, says a survey released today by the CBI and Watson Wyatt. Three quarters of the 192 companies questioned, representing over one million employees, say they will have to pay more [...]