Small beer Budget: George Osborne deserves credit for holding back on the bribery March 18, 2015 We should “choose the future” George Osborne insisted yesterday, in what may yet turn out to be his final Budget. But in truth, he spent much of his time focusing on the recent past. Employment has been buoyant and now stands at a record high. Those who predicted that spending constraint would lead to an [...]
Bijou skiing on a budget: Saint Martin de Belleville March 15, 2015 You can’t beat this intimate 14th century village for convenience and scenery. Saint Martin de Belleville is the most civilized way to access the Three Valleys without having to re-mortgage your dacha. It’s aptly named; villes don’t get much more belle than this. The town square boasts a church built in the 14th century facing [...]
Countdown to the General Election January 27, 2015 A guide to the key events taking place in the lead up to the crunch vote. FEB 12th February HALF-TERM The Commons and Lords get a final break before campaigning kicks off in earnest 27th February UKIP SPRING CONFERENCE Nigel Farage has decided to host his Spring Conference in Margate – practically next door to [...]
Waitrose plans expansion and 2,000 new jobs January 27, 2015 Waitrose announced plans yesterday to create 2,000 new jobs as the upmarket supermarket continues to expand its presence and grab a greater slice of the grocery market. The chain, owned by the John Lewis Partnership, will open 14 new stores from spring this year including seven Little Waitrose convenience stores and seven supermarkets, including one [...]
Next’s share price soars as profit guidance raised and special dividend declared December 30, 2014 Next’s share price has soared this morning on the back of a new forecast, revising its profits back up. Christmas at Next was at the better end of the retailer’s forecast, with sales for the 58 days until Christmas Eve up 2.9 per cent year on year. Much of that came from Next Directory, which [...]
Career boost? Make use of Secret Santa December 10, 2014 You don’t have to splash too much cash to impress your superiors this Christmas. With the Christmas party season reaching its climax this week, Brits are set to spend over £38m on Secret Santa gifts for their colleagues. And according to our recent poll of workers in the capital, Londoners are among the most [...]
Crossrail: These amazing pictures show what is going on under your feet at Liverpool Street, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Whitechapel and Paddington December 5, 2014 From above ground Crossrail is little more than an annoying eyesore you have to navigate around. But as with the Wombles, it's so much better underground, and here are the pictures to prove it. Crossrail under Bond Street Crossrail has today revealed these amazing pictures to show how far through the project it [...]
Best business podcasts: From Harvard’s HBR IdeaCast to Marketing Smarts and The Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders November 24, 2014 Listen to anything from Stanford lectures to coffee shop discussions If you're not a podcast listener, the chances are that you know someone who is. In 2013, subscriptions to these downloadable audio files (featuring everything from comedy to political debate) hit 1bn through iTunes. And according to podcast hosting company RawVoice, the number of [...]
CLS vacancy rates buoyed by markets November 19, 2014 CLS Holdings yesterday said the vacancy rate across the group reduced to 3.1 per cent by rental income from 3.5 per cent since the end of June, helped by the markets in London and France. CLS said demand from existing and potential occupiers was steady, with good interest in London and France. “Continuing signs of [...]
US Fed set to call time on its stimulus plan – New York Report October 26, 2014 UNLESS it springs a major surprise, the US Federal Reserve will call time this week on its programme of government bond purchases, which at one point was pumping $85bn (£52.83bn) a month into financial markets and the economy. The Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) interest rate-setting is meeting on Wednesday. Other indicators include Tuesday’s data [...]