Today’s Copeland result and Lords energy report both highlight the ticking nuclear time-bomb in UK politics February 24, 2017 This morning’s Tory victory sweep in the Labour stronghold of nuclear heartland Copeland has coincided with the publication of a Lords report criticising the government’s nuclear energy policy. The nuclear question could not have been more central to yesterday's by-election contest in the heart of Britain’s West Cumbrian ‘energy coast’. 10,000 people are already directly [...]
A spirits union is calling for Nissan-style guarantees for the Scottish whisky industry during Brexit negotiations February 24, 2017 Workers in the £5bn Scottish whisky industry should be given Nissan-style protections in Brexit negotiations, union works have said. GMB, the union for whisky and spirits workers, has written to Scottish Secretary David Mundell to call for measures to safeguard an estimated 160,000 jobs related to the industry. More than 40,000 UK jobs are directly supported by [...]
PSA will honour commitments to Vauxhall plants says business secretary February 24, 2017 Peugeot will stick to commitments made to Vauxhall factories in the UK, according to business secretary Greg Clark. Clark said he had a “constructive meeting” with the chief executive of Peugeot SA (PSA), Carlos Tavares, in a statement this afternoon. “The meeting was reassuring,” Clark said. “We discussed how PSA's approach is to increase market [...]
Storm Doris: Insurers reveal a spike in claims after the UK’s worst storm of 2017 makes landfall February 24, 2017 The insurance sector has started to count the cost of the 100mph plus gales that have lashed the British Isles over the last few days. Storm Doris has led to a spike in activity for insurers, primarily in relation to land and buildings cover, with one provider saying it had already seen a 300 per cent increase in [...]
What are the biggest obstacles to global economic growth? February 24, 2017 | City Talk Global economic growth is lagging. The question is why. For insight into this, we asked readers of CFA Institute NewsBrief what they believe is the single biggest obstacle to global economic growth. I believe the biggest obstacle to global economic growth is . . . * Results do not add up to 100% due to [...]
“We are not in a bazaar”: German minister rules out HQ compromise in London Stock Exchange-Deutsche Boerse talks February 24, 2017 Politicians in Frankfurt appear determined to accept nothing but the headquarters of the combined London Stock Exchange and Deutsche Boerse, with an influential minister making clear he is not interested in compromise. “We are not in a bazaar,” Thomas Schaefer told City A.M. when asked whether there was anything the exchanges could offer to the [...]
Economists want an industrial strategy from the government – but will it solve the productivity puzzle? February 24, 2017 An updated industrial strategy for the UK is long overdue, a poll of prominent economists says, with the process of leaving the EU set to begin in earnest within a month. Two-thirds of the economists’ surveyed, including some of the leading academic economists in Britain, agree that the UK needs a new industrial strategy, according [...]
UK stamp prices will increase by 1p from March, the Royal Mail has said February 24, 2017 The Royal Mail has announced the price of stamps in the UK are due to increase by 1p from the end of March. In a statement today it said first class stamps will rise to 65p, while second class stamps will rise to 56p. Meanwhile, the price of a large letter first class stamp will [...]
Rapidly rising petrol costs are putting consumers off driving and pushing them to cut spending in other areas February 24, 2017 Higher pump prices have pushed UK consumers to spend less on their cars and cut back on driving. At the beginning of February, Britain's petrol prices rose to an average of 120p while diesel rose to 122p, and according to a new study, a quarter of drivers said they're now restricting their car use while [...]
Southern rail claims victory over the RMT, giving itself a pat on the back for its service February 24, 2017 Southern rail has labelled the ongoing industrial action by the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) as "impotent and ineffective", while bragging about how many trains it had managed to run in spite of the strikes. The RMT held its latest walkout on Wednesday, this time a 24-hour downing of tools, taking its tally to 29 strikes. Fears have resurfaced that [...]