US Presidential Election 2016: Donald Trump suffers blow as Pope questions his Christian faith, sparking response to the pontiff from the billionaire as Sanders overtakes Clinton in poll February 19, 2016 Outspoken Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has hit back after having suffered a blow as the Pope questioned his religious credentials over his proposal to build a wall to keep Mexicans from migrating to the US. The pontiff questioned Trump's faith after the billionaire said the way to deal with Mexican migration to the US [...]
UK house prices: Sorry, but right now the UK can’t meet its target of building 240,000 homes a year, says House of Lords National Policy for the Built Environment Committee February 19, 2016 The UK won't hit the government's 240,000-a-year housebuilding target by relying on the private sector, according to a new report – which also warned so-called starter homes shouldn't be classed as affordable housing. The report, by the House of Lords' National Policy for the Built Environment committee, said the government must give local authorities and housing [...]
In defence of CVAs and pre-packs: The UK’s insolvency regime might not be perfect, but it does minimise creditors’ losses and protects staff more than alternatives February 19, 2016 When a company enters an insolvency procedure, it does so because its debts are unpayable or unsustainable. In all likelihood, creditors face losing money. There just isn’t enough to go around. And, without intervention, the impact of the company’s insolvency extends far beyond just the creditors’ loss: jobs could go and suppliers might be losing a key customer, [...]
EU referendum: Standard Life chairman Sir Gerry Grimstone warns Brexit could be “potentially damaging” to the UK economy February 19, 2016 Standard Life's chairman has warned that a Brexit would be "potentially damaging to the UK economy", saying his company backs the UK remaining a member of the European Union. In the chairman's statement, as the business revealed a strong set of results, Sir Gerry Grimstone said the business was "conducting a thorough study of the impact of this on [...]
Volvo’s cars will soon open with just an app and no need for car keys February 19, 2016 Forget keys, you'll soon be able to unlock and drive your car with just the swipe of a finger on a smartphone. Volvo is the first car maker to ditch keys for a smartphone app that will do everything from unlocking the door to starting the engine. The digital key works via an app using bluetooth [...]
Standard Life’s share price lifts as group raises dividends by 7.8p saying it is “well capitalised” under Solvency II February 19, 2016 Standard Life has upped its dividend after group inflows soared, boosting income and profits ahead of expectations, and showing a strong surplus under new Solvency II rules. The figures Group operating profit before tax at the 200-year-old investment bank and insurer rose nine per cent to £665m for the full calendar year, while group underlying performance was [...]
EU migrant crisis: Austria to cap migrants at 3,200 a day and asylum claims at 80 a day as country’s in Schengen zone come under more pressure February 19, 2016 Austria, a part of the Schengen passport-free zone, is to limit the number of migrants and asylum applications it receives each day from today, the country's interior minister has said. The daily migrant cap will be set at 3,200 people, while it will limit the number of asylum claims it receives daily to 80. "It is a matter of [...]
City Moves for 19 February 2016 | Who’s switching jobs February 19, 2016 Ogilvy & Mather Ogilvy & Mather London has appointed Mick Mahoney to the role of chief creative officer to lead the agency’s creative output across its client portfolio in the UK. He will report into newly appointed chief executive Charlie Rudd. Mick was executive creative director (ECD) at RKCR/Y&R from 2013 to 2015, and previously worked [...]
Your guide to being more charismatic: Lessons from a session with Mr Charisma February 19, 2016 What is charisma? It’s difficult to put your finger on, but you know it when you see it. That’s the first message of Harley Street-based Richard Reid, aka Mr Charisma, who I recently had a session with. Reid defines charisma in the negative. It’s “not charm” – because that isn’t authentic. Someone who is charismatic [...]
High house prices and strong rent growth lift landlord returns February 19, 2016 Landlords' annual returns have reached their highest for over a year, according to figures released this morning. Considering both the growth in rents and increases in property prices, landlords’ annual rate of return in January was 12 per cent. The figures, from estate agents Your Move and Reeds Rains, show that the average landlord in [...]