UK economy set for slowest growth since 2009 and business investment to decline, BCC warns December 18, 2018 UK economic growth could slow to its lowest level since 2009 over the next two years as business investment and the pound are hit by Brexit uncertainty, according to the British Chambers of Commerce. The group expected business investment to contract by 0.6 per cent in 2018 before growing 0.1 per cent next year. The outlook [...]
Have you got a Scrooge loose at work? December 18, 2018 Festive cheer may be in short supply in the UK’s workplaces this Christmas – and it’s got nothing to do with Brexit, rail fare rises, or miserly pay increases. Instead, it’s the fact that a growing number of employers have cancelled the annual staff party. At one firm, an employee reports receiving an email out [...]
Breaking the current Brexit impasse could land Theresa May in even deeper trouble December 18, 2018 Despite efforts by the Labour party and other political opponents of the government in the House of Commons, it now looks very unlikely that Theresa May will put her Brexit proposal to a parliamentary vote this side of the New Year. But there may still be plenty of public disagreements and political wrangling ahead when [...]
Huawei cements 5G sector takeover, hours after fresh warning from cyber watchdog December 18, 2018 China's Huawei has claimed to hold the largest amount of 5G commercial contracts in the world, just hours after a cyber security watchdog joined the chorus of warnings that its technology could pose a security risk. The telecoms equipment firm said it had secured more than 25 commercial contracts for 5G, rising from the 22 it declared [...]
Audit sector faces huge shake-up as new reports make radical recommendations December 18, 2018 The stage has been set for a radical shake-up of the UK’s audit sector, following the release of two highly-anticipated reports. Britain’s audit watchdog, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), should be scrapped and replaced with a new statutory body, Sir John Kingman’s review of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has said. Meanwhile, the Competition and Markets [...]
The Kingman review, digested: Five key points from today’s report December 18, 2018 Today saw the release of two big reports into the audit sector: Sir John Kingman’s review of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), and the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) interim report into competition in the audit sector. The CMA – which has opened a can of worms by putting a radical split of professional services [...]
House sales to continue declining in 2019 as Brexit uncertainty and lack of supply hinder activity December 17, 2018 House sales are to continue stagnating next year amid Brexit uncertainty and lack of supply, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). In its forecast for the year, the trade body said the UK housing market is unlikely to see much change in 2019, with sales volumes to weaken by around five per [...]
Another day of unforced errors from Jeremy Corbyn December 17, 2018 For anyone wondering how on earth this government still finds itself ahead in the polls, yesterday's showing from the Labour leadership should prove informative. Around mid-afternoon the opposition let it be known it was calling a vote of no confidence in Theresa May if the Prime Minister did not confirm the date of parliament's meaningful [...]
London loses out in cost of living rankings thanks to falling pound in the years after Brexit referendum December 17, 2018 London has become one of the cheapest major European cities for overseas workers since the Brexit referendum, according to global mobility research firm ECA International. As a result, of of the weakened pound since the leave vote, London has slipped from inside the top 50 global cities to 127th place, the company said in its [...]
Opinion: Why we should follow the French by considering guardianship as a way to fill empty homes with those in housing need December 17, 2018 Christmas is the time of year when the misery of homelessness becomes apparent to everyone. Many homeless people are in this position as rising property prices and rents across London, combined with the housing shortage, has made affordable accommodation in decent locations a mere pipe dream for many young and low-paid people working in the [...]