Stephen Haddrill steps down as FRC audit watchdog boss amid probe November 2, 2018 Stephen Haddrill, chief executive of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), is stepping down amid a government probe into the watchdog’s operations. Haddrill has led the FRC, which monitors and regulates the audit sector, since 2009. The news comes in the wake of mounting pressure on the FRC, which has come under examination following several recent scandals within the UK’s [...]
Solving the shipping industry’s technological problems is a huge opportunity for the UK November 2, 2018 For decades, the business of moving goods across national borders has been hidden from the headlines. In ordinary times it is a rather dry subject, but Brexit has brought trade into sharp focus. One thing has become crystal clear: if goods cannot move freely through ports as a result of political agreement, a much greater [...]
Irresponsible gambling is a big risk, but the industry is changing those odds November 2, 2018 Yesterday, we launched the biggest ever campaign to promote responsible gambling. More than 127,000 staff in over 11,000 gambling venues in the UK and Ireland – encompassing bookmakers, casinos, arcades, bingo clubs and online gambling websites – are currently taking part in Responsible Gambling Week. The aim is to spark a national dialogue about what [...]
Waitrose’s vegan row shows that we’ve all forgotten how to laugh November 2, 2018 I’ve heard it said – often by advocates of social justice campaigns like the #MeToo movement – that we should have little sympathy for people who don’t know what behaviour is on the right or wrong side of the line. Men, for example, have no need to be fearful in a #MeToo world as long [...]
DEBATE: Channel 4 has chosen to relocate its headquarters to Leeds, but is this a sensible decision? November 2, 2018 Channel 4 has chosen to relocate its headquarters to Leeds, but is this a sensible decision? YES, says Olivia Utley, deputy editor at TheArticle. It is common knowledge that British regions are suffering from a brain drain to London. The latest analysis suggests that 30 per cent of all students will head to the capital upon [...]
Pointless meetings? There’s no such thing – the peacock explains why November 2, 2018 IT’S A good rule of thumb that you can learn more by looking at what people do than listening to what they say. Everyone in the corporate world, for example, likes to talk about how much they hate meetings. But for something they profess to despise, they seem to have an awful lot of them. [...]
Crossrail chief executive to step down as London Underground boss called in for ‘complex’ final stages of delayed project November 2, 2018 Crossrail chief executive Simon Wright will step down later this year after the government said it would bail out the delayed project with a £350m loan. Transport for London said Wright, who took the role in March, would step down by the end of the year “as planned” and be replaced by London Underground managing director [...]
Bank of England: A British scientist will feature on the next £50 note November 2, 2018 The Bank of England told the public to “think science” when nominating new faces for the £50 note this morning. Figures such as Stephen Hawking and Dorothy Hodgkin are among the early frontrunners in the race to be on the new plastic note, which comes as part of a six-week process where the public can [...]
UK construction output increases sharply but outlook paints ‘less rosy picture’ November 2, 2018 UK construction output increases sharply but outlook paints a “less rosy picture” as Brexit uncertainty hits confidence and new orders. The rate of expansion in the construction sector in October was the second fastest in 16 months due to a “rebound” in civil engineering activity in the UK, according to the closely-followed IHS Markit/ CIPS [...]
Peak times: Virgin Trains scraps Friday afternoon peak fares November 2, 2018 Virgin Trains has scrapped its Friday afternoon peak-hour restrictions from London Euston station in a bid to ease overcrowding. The policy comes in the wake of growing commuter frustration over Friday evening travel, with passengers having to stand for hours amid the huge demand for the first Friday night off-peak trains at 7pm. Having trialled the [...]