House prices to stop tumbling in central London next year, according to chartered surveyors December 21, 2016 UK house prices are set to rise by three per cent next year and central London prices will stop falling as they have done throughout this year, according to chartered surveyors. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has predicted that house prices will continue to rise on the back of a shortage of housing [...]
The UK economy doesn’t need an industrial strategy – it needs liberation December 21, 2016 There seems to be widespread agreement within the political class that the British economy is in need of “rebalancing.” It is argued that too big a fraction of UK output is generated by the services sector, and too little by manufacturing. Changing the sectoral composition of British GDP is an explicit objective of Theresa May’s [...]
The death of cash, the rise of trade unions and other eclectic 2017 predictions December 21, 2016 It’s certainly been an eventful year. But rather than dwell on the past, what sort of things can we expect in 2017? Here are a few eclectic predictions. Sweden may become the world’s first cashless economy. Notes and coins are already fast disappearing as a means of payment, and retailers are legally entitled to refuse to [...]
Wanted for 2017: A leader with a strong moral compass December 21, 2016 It feels like 2016 is never-ending. As I sit here writing my final column of the year I’m looking at the news: 12 killed in a lorry attack on a Berlin Christmas Market and the Russian ambassador shot dead in Turkey. In the last 12 months, the UK voted to leave the EU, Donald Trump was [...]
Rejoice: Christmas is about to get much less manic for City parents December 21, 2016 For many mums and dads working in the City, the pressure gauge is now banging against the red zone. On the work side, Christmas brings client drinks parties, office shindigs, annual appraisals, bonus dramas, mystery Santas, week-long hangovers and projects with a “before Christmas” deadline. On the family side, December means nativity plays, parents’ evenings, last-minute Christmas [...]
Is Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon deluded to think that Scotland can get a special Brexit deal? December 21, 2016 Ruth Davidson MSP, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, says Yes. We want the best Brexit deal for Scotland and that means the UK coming together to negotiate hard in the interests of all of us. Nicola Sturgeon talks about compromise, but written in black and white in her own report is her true intention – [...]
Why you should serve a magnum on Christmas day December 21, 2016 Yes, Yes, Christmas is a time for giving. But it is also a time for a decent glass of wine or two and sharing them with friends and family. One of the greatest pleasures in collecting and appreciating wine is choosing the wines that will work just right with the occasion and the planned menu [...]
BBC spends £815,000 on counselling staff for stress, bullying and harassment among other issues December 21, 2016 The BBC has spent nearly £815,000 since 2010 counselling staff for stress, bullying and harassment among other issues, City A.M. can exclusively reveal. The corporation’s bill for counselling staff for the 2016/2017 financial year increased to over £102,000 from the previous period during which it forked out nearly £94,500. The BBC came under fire last [...]
Government must be careful to consider all sectors of business in the Brexit deal, warns CBI December 21, 2016 Government must take care not to sacrifice some sectors for the sake of scoring a good Brexit deal for others, a report out today has warned. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) study cautioned leaving any sector high and dry during the process of leaving the EU could have knock-on effects for other industries, given [...]
Volkswagen agrees to compensate more owners of emissions-cheating diesel vehicles in the US December 20, 2016 German automaker Volkswagen has taken another step to make good on its emissions-cheating scandal. Today, the company agreed on a mix of buybacks and fixes for around 80,000 3.0-litre diesel VW, Porsche and Audi vehicles, a US federal judge said in a San Francisco hearing. The German software developer for the VW diesels, Robert Bosch GmbH, also agreed in [...]