Olympic Stadium investigation: Beancounters net fees, findings to be made public this summer March 13, 2017 The mid-tier accountancy firm undertaking the forensic investigation into the London Stadium overspend will net at least £140,000, according to documents published by City Hall. Moore Stephens was appointed in February to perform a review of how the cost to transform the Olympic Stadium into the multi-use London Stadium increased from an original budget of £115m to £323m. The firm plans to deliver [...]
PwC’s partnering with tech startup incubator Codebase March 13, 2017 PwC is putting its weight behind technology startups, partnering with the UK's biggest incubator. The professional services giant will support Scotland's Codebase, which is home to more than 80 startups in Edinburgh and will soon launch a second location in Stirling. Read more: Google parent Alphabet is backing London fintech startup Currencycloud It will offer [...]
“There’s a rat in the room”: Nick Candy claims he has been misportrayed in £132m High Court extortion trial March 10, 2017 Property tycoon Nick Candy told a High Court judge this morning that he has been “misportrayed” in the £132m extortion case against him and his brother Christian Candy. He made the complaint at the end of the fifth week of a trial that has scrutinised the business dealings of two men at the centre of London’s [...]
Spring Budget 2017: Junior barristers could be badly hit by hike in national insurance March 9, 2017 Those trying to make a name for themselves in the courts have been dealt a blow by the impending hike in national insurance. Chancellor Philip Hammond revealed in his maiden Budget yesterday that the class 4 National Insurance rate would be increased by one percentage point to 10 per cent from April 2018, and then [...]
Standard Life Investments sees first senior executive quit after merger plans unveiled March 8, 2017 Standard Life Investments’ head of equities, David Cumming, is the asset manager’s first senior executive to exit the business following its merger with Aberdeen Asset Management. The company said in a statement that Cumming was leaving to “pursue other interests”. Cumming joined Standard Life Investments in 1998, becoming UK head of equities in 2000, and [...]
Dignity share price drops after growth revision March 8, 2017 Dignity, which provides funeral services, crematoria and pre-arranged funeral plans, saw its share price plunge 13 per cent after it revised down its growth rate. It revised down its medium-term target underlying EPS growth rate to eight per cent per annum from the current 10 per cent. However, Dignity beat analysts’ consensus profit forecasts after [...]
How to get more women to the very top of the business world March 8, 2017 This International Women’s Day, I have been thinking about why – after so many years of discussion – we still need an “international day” to commit to working towards gender equality. As a female chief executive of a global professional body, I am unusual and most of my peers are men. ACCA has helped buck [...]
Former Labour home secretary brands proposed new solicitors’ exam a potential matter of “national concern” March 6, 2017 A former Labour home secretary said today proposed changes to qualifying exams for solicitors should be treated as a matter of national concern. Both Lord Blunkett and Lord Low of Dalston, the latter of whom brought the question forward for debate in the House of Lords, argued the Solicitors Qualifying Exam put forward by the Solicitors [...]
It’s a thumbs up from the City: Over half of bankers think the Senior Managers’ Regime was a good idea March 6, 2017 Bankers have given their blessing to a recently introduced set of rules designed to increase personal accountability, the next tranche of which is due to take effect tomorrow. Over half (55 per cent) of nearly 200 senior finance execs polled by Duff & Phelps think the Senior Managers' and Certification Regime, which first came into force last [...]
Aim-quoted TLA Worldwide reveals $237m home run of contract negotiations in record off-season March 6, 2017 A UK-based athlete agency has netted $237m (£193m) of baseball contracts during Major League Baseball's off-season, growing its business by more than a third. Aim-quoted firm TLA Worldwide revealed its record figures today in advance of the 1 April start to the regular season in North America. TLA represents a host of sportstars from around the world, also including [...]