CITY PHILANTHROPISTS LURED BY PROMISE OF SOME GOLDEN EGGS May 18, 2010 OFF to the Merchant Taylors Hall on Threadneedle Street yesterday for what has become a stalwart of the City’s calendar – the annual Gulls’ Eggs lunch. This year marked the 22nd anniversary of the affair, which has traditionally used the excuse of what must be the shortest season of any earthly foodstuff to bring hundreds [...]
Remember the lessons from this recession April 22, 2010 AS THE UK’s economy limps back to health the fate of small businesses is still hanging in the balance. A recent survey by the Federation for Small Businesses suggests that the economic recovery is still too fragile for small firms to take on more staff. The economic environment is full of uncertainty and small firms [...]
‘Andy Murray is a better player than I ever was’ June 20, 2010 AS confidants go, Tim Henman is a pretty good asset when it comes to Wimbledon. Four-time semi-finalist and the most successful male British player since Fred Perry in the 1930s, there isn’t a blade of grass on the famous courts of SW19 that the former world No4 doesn’t know. So, who better for Andy Murray [...]
What to get if you don’t want an iPhone April 13, 2010 FOR APP FANS: HTC LEGEND HTC has also developed Google’s hotly-anticipated Nexus One phone, expected on these shores any time now. For now we have the HTC Legend, a groovy thing with a sharp aluminium body. Running on the Android operating system, it’s as powerful and app-friendly as they come, and cool design elements like [...]
LONDON TURNS OUT IN FORCE TO WATCH FINAL ELECTION SHOWDOWN May 6, 2010 FITTINGLY for one of the most important elections in this country’s history, turnout smashed expectations yesterday – and we’re talking of the bars, pubs and restaurants of London, rather than of the polling stations. The City, eager to know what the next government will have in store for them, flocked to parties as the results [...]
Bigotgate overshadows fiscal crisis April 28, 2010 SO FAR during this election campaign, only two events, both televised, have had a real effect, capturing the public’s imagination. The first leaders’ debate triggered the vertiginous rise of Nick Clegg, whose LibDem party gained over ten percentage points in the polls in just 90 minutes without him needing to say anything new; and then [...]
HOW THE AGREEMENT AFFECTS THE CITY May 20, 2010 BANKING • The coalition has agreed to impose some kind of levy on the banking industry, although its exact form has yet to be decided. The Tories want to introduce a fee on banks’ wholesale funding, while the Liberal Democrats would prefer a tax on profits. • There is a vague commitment to tackle “unacceptable [...]
Ofcom feels the heat over sports ruling March 31, 2010 OFCOM faced a fierce backlash to its landmark ruling yesterday as broadcasters and sporting bodies rounded on the embattled regulator. BSkyB vowed to carry out its threat to fight the ruling through the courts, hiring high powered City law firm Herbert Smith. The decision means the wholesale prices Sky is allowed to charge rivals including [...]
Ex-OFT expert brought in to probe banks June 16, 2010 SIR John Vickers, the former boss of the Office of Fair Trading, has been appointed to lead a wide-ranging review into the future shape of the banking industry. Announcing the appointment in the Commons, chancellor George Osborne said Vickers would be asked to investigate the best “size, scale and function” of banks in the future. [...]
McCall leaves the Guardian March 23, 2010 EASYJET last night unveiled Carolyn McCall as its new chief executive, replacing Andy Harrison who stands down in June. The decision by McCall, currently head of Guardian Media Group (GMG), shocked the media world. Her move comes after GMG posted pre-tax losses of £90m in the year to March 2009, compared with a profit of [...]