GBPUSD: Sterling dives against the US dollar as inflation fall gives Bank of England headache April 18, 2018 Inflation fell significantly faster than expected by economists in March to hit its the lowest in a year, in a development which gives the Bank of England a “headache” as it looks to raise interest rates at its May meeting. The consumer prices index (CPI), which the Bank targets, fell to 2.5 per cent, while [...]
Facebook will ask Europeans and Canadians to allow it to use facial recognition technology on them April 18, 2018 Facebook said it will start asking European and Canadian users to let it use facial recognition technology in its latest move to become more transparent regarding users’ privacy. A blog post posted late yesterday by Erin Egan, VP and chief privacy officer, policy, and Ashlie Beringer, VP and deputy general counsel, said: We’ve offered products [...]
DEBATE: Could quitting social media like Wetherspoons did be a good idea for brands? April 18, 2018 Could quitting social media like Wetherspoons did be a good idea for brands? Beatrice Timpson, director at Media Intelligence Partners, says YES. A social media profile is only as good as its content. If, like Wetherspoons, you have 900 Facebook and Twitter accounts, each attracting very moderate engagement from followers, and no overarching sense of [...]
The Windrush crisis is cast-iron proof of Theresa May’s incompetence April 18, 2018 If there ever was a Prime Minister who has the knack of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, it would have to be Theresa May. When it comes to set pieces, such as her Lancaster House speech or her handling of various terrorist atrocities in Manchester and London, she gives a reassuring sense of [...]
To fix the housing crisis, ministers should listen to businesses in London – scrap the migration cap and build more homes in the green belt April 18, 2018 First-time buyers are going to extreme lengths to save up a deposit, according to an amusing survey published by Santander this morning. “Almost 2m are willing to swap nutritious meals for pot noodles,” the bank says, inadvertently casting doubt over the future of the global avocado market. The research also reveals that 38 per cent [...]
The Queen still heads the Commonwealth, but this is the last time leaders will meet with the UK economy as top dog April 18, 2018 The Queen may still head the Commonwealth with the UK still the largest economy, but this will almost certainly have changed by the time of the next gathering of the bloc’s leaders, according to forecasts from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). India’s economy will have overtaken the UK well ahead of the [...]
Steve Webb slams taxman as HM Revenue & Customs forced to remove relief calculator from its website April 18, 2018 Pension experts have slammed HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for failing to take down a flawed tax relief calculator, despite knowing it was providing incorrect advice. Top-rate taxpayers could have lost out on thousands of pounds of tax relief when planning their financial affairs for the coming year by using an online tool to help [...]
Lawyers attack businessman at heart of £200m Royal Bank of Scotland claim April 17, 2018 In a High Court hearing today lawyers said that a businessman at the centre of a group involved in a £200m claim against the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) had been described as a fraudster in two previous court cases. Lawyers acting for former RBS shareholders instructed by Manx Capital Partners said that it was [...]
London Marathon 2018: Mo Farah wants British record and podium place on second attempt at world-famous race April 17, 2018 Britain’s most decorated athlete Mo Farah is targeting a new national record and a podium place when he returns to the London Marathon on Sunday. Farah finished eighth in 2014 – his first and only race over 26.2 miles – but is hoping that his switch to focusing solely on marathon distance, having hung up [...]
KPMG has South Africa contracts cancelled following spate of scandals April 17, 2018 South Africa’s auditor general has cancelled all contracts with big four accounting firm KPMG after a series of major scandals. The audit giant had been implicated in the scandal that led to the collapse of storied London public relations firm Bell Pottinger in September. Read more: Demise of a PR giant: The inside story of [...]