Yet again the emperor has no clothes September 12, 2011 SURELY not. I mean, the Vickers Independent Commission on Banking couldn’t possibly be a case of the emperor having no clothes, could it? Yet as I read through the 358-page tome, a conclusion I couldn’t quite believe kept staring me in the face. If Vickers had never existed, many of the biggest reforms his report [...]
RETAIL BANK OF THE YEAR | The Shortlist day seven June 27, 2011 Retail banking in Britain is in the throes of monumental change this year, as the big-name players grapple with the reforms being drawn up by the Independent Commission on Banking. The shifting landscape has also allowed newcomers to gain a foothold in the market, giving our list of top retail banks this year a fresh [...]
Not the end of the line for capitalism September 6, 2011 SAU, £20 Alex Singleton YOU might be forgiven for thinking that another book on the financial crisis was unnecessary. After all, Gordon Brown has already written a comprehensive tome. You know, the one in which he forgets about all the mistakes he made with regulation, congratulates himself for saving the world, and bangs on about [...]
Travelodge to splash out £165m on new UK hotels July 4, 2011 HOTEL chain Travelodge today announced 22 new hotels, including five in London, as part of a £165m expansion across Britain. The company has also entered a partnership with clothing retailer Arcadia Group. This partnership will see the construction of a 96-room Travelodge hotel above the Topshop store in Princes Street, Edinburgh, with the establishment due [...]
Travelodge to splash out £165m on new UK hotels July 4, 2011 HOTEL chain Travelodge today announced 22 new hotels, including five in London, as part of a £165m expansion across Britain. The company has also entered a partnership with clothing retailer Arcadia Group. This partnership will see the construction of a 96-room Travelodge hotel above the Topshop store in Princes Street, Edinburgh, with the establishment due [...]
London is top global city for visitors June 1, 2011 LONDON has fought off both New York and Paris to be crowned the world’s number one destination city, with an expected 20.1m inbound passengers visiting the capital this year, according to a survey out yesterday. Foreign visitors to London are expected to pull in a record $25.6bn (£15.58bn) this financial year alone. “London has yet [...]
House prices fall in London and rest of UK July 17, 2011 House prices have dropped for the first time this year, according to a well-regarded Rightmove index released this morning. Prices fell 1.6 per cent across the UK in July, with even London’s houses experiencing a 1.4 per cent dip, the figures showed. In June, the average residential property in the capital hit an all time [...]
FTSE gains fuelled by Eurozone deal July 22, 2011 The FTSE 100 tracked other global markets upwards as the sealing of a second bailout for Greece produced a collective sigh of relief from investors, governments and financial institutions. Leaders of the Eurozone threw a lifeline to debt-stricken Greece that includes an extra €109bn of government money as well as a significant contribution from private [...]
FTSE gains fuelled by Eurozone deal July 22, 2011 The FTSE 100 tracked other global markets upwards as the sealing of a second bailout for Greece produced a collective sigh of relief from investors, governments and financial institutions. Leaders of the Eurozone threw a lifeline to debt-stricken Greece that includes an extra €109bn of government money as well as a significant contribution from private [...]
Service sector growth at four month high August 3, 2011 Activity in the country’s dominant services sector grew at its fastest pace in four months in July on strong growth in new business, raising hopes that the economy may pick up despite recent dire news from manufacturers and retailers. However, the services firms also cut jobs, and banks and consumer-facing sectors suffered a drop in [...]