David Harrison, co-founder of Positive Solutions and True Potential, talks tin baths, skinny men with beards, Boris and why we need a Super Isa January 23, 2017 An article was doing the rounds on Twitter last week: Don’t let Boris Wooster bugger up Brexit. This is how David Harrison, founder of two multi-million pound financial services firms and former builder, feels about our irrepressible foreign secretary. “He’s not helping Theresa, is he? A loose cannon who walks on sounding like he’s just [...]
Here are the key challenges the new pensions minister will face July 27, 2016 The recent reshuffle meant a whole host of new ministerial faces both at the Treasury and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). These new ministers will have a full agenda when it comes to pensions. At DWP, the new secretary of state is Damian Green, who will be responsible for controlling welfare spending and getting people back [...]
Wanted: A bold government housing strategy that delivers for the young rather than the old December 6, 2016 If Brexit wasn’t dominating British politics, then one other issue would be: the lack of housing. If you know someone under 30, living in London and able to afford their first home, then your friend belongs to the country’s richest percentile. For most people, even for those on what used to be a decent median income, owning [...]
Editor’s diary: Threats to the City’s dominance come from home and abroad October 21, 2016 This week one of our front page stories caused quite a stir in parliament. Wednesday's paper reported on the growing levels of unease in the City regarding the way in which some people in government view financial services and its place in upcoming Brexit negotiations. We quoted a number of senior sources, all of whom [...]
Prime Minister Theresa May makes a few more ministerial changes July 16, 2016 Theresa May has announced a number of junior ministerial appointments as she makes her mark as Prime Minister. Penny Mordaunt and Mike Penning are now both ministers are the Department of Work and Pensions and Ministry of Defence, respectively. Meanwhile, Sir Oliver Heald has taken on a ministerial position at the Ministry of Justice. Read more: May says [...]
Employers must act early when strike action looms: Industrial action and what can be done January 13, 2017 Strike action is continuing to cause significant disruption for commuters, business travellers and holidaymakers in early 2017 – but could it have been prevented? Southern Rail has announced that it is going ahead with three-day stoppages of its train services this month – the first started this week – and British Airways’ cabin crew held a 48-hour strike [...]
Conservatives scrap “pointless” medical tests for welfare claimants October 1, 2016 People who are unable to work due to serious illness or medical conditions will no longer have to undergo "pointless" reassessments in order to receive benefits, the government has announced today. The new changes will mean tens of thousands of people with lifelong conditions will not have to face repeated medical tests, which can take place as often [...]
Cashing in: RMT boss Mick Cash’s “telephone-number” salary sparks outrage as Britain’s commuters face three-pronged strike attack August 11, 2016 The union boss at the centre of a three-pronged attack on Britain’s commuters and holidaymakers earned £137,344 last year, outraging MPs and grassroots campaigners. RMT general secretary Mick Cash received a near seven per cent increase in salary and pension in 2015, at £8,900, for leading Britain’s 15th largest trade union. By comparison, Len McCluskey, [...]
Labour’s Stephen Kinnock has demanded answers on Tata UK plans, as business minister Sajid Javid heads to India July 7, 2016 Labour MP Stephen Kinnock has called for clarity on the latest plans for Tata Steel's UK operations ahead of business secretary Sajid Javid's trip to Mumbai this weekend. Javid will be flying to India tonight ahead of a Tata board meeting tomorrow. And Kinnock, whose Aberavon constituency includes the Tata Port Talbot works, has handed [...]
Second administrator appointed to untangle the complex web of companies surrounding BHS July 25, 2016 A second administrator has been appointed to investigate the complex web of companies surrounding BHS. FRP Advisory were appointed joint administrators to Duff & Phelps on Friday. City A.M. understands that the firm will be looking at the transactions made between the companies connected with BHS to determine if any assets transacted were undervalued. Read more: Here are [...]