Well, this is awkward: Xi Jinping’s trade deals visit overshadowed by growing concern over China’s impact on UK steel industry October 20, 2015 The government is making its case for stepping up the Sino-British relationship by announcing £30bn worth of new trade and investment deals, despite escalating concerns that the UK steel industry is crumbling at the hands of Chinese manufacturers. The Prime Minister announced the business deals, which the government says will create more than 3,900 jobs [...]
Britain’s businesses are not rattled by Chinese slowdown, Grant Thornton research shows October 20, 2015 Britain’s businesses are standing firm as world-wide business sentiment takes a hammering from China. UK business confidence over the three months to the end of September towered above the global average of 38 per cent at 67 per cent, down from the peak of 79 per cent in the previous quarter when businesses were buoyed [...]
London’s digital economy could be worth £48.5bn – Oxford Economics and Virgin Media Business October 20, 2015 London’s businesses could be set to gain £48.5bn over the next two years if they fully harness the digital technologies available. Research from Oxford Economics and Virgin Media Business, seen exclusively by City A.M., shows that by going digital, London’s companies could increase their collective revenue by 3.6 per cent, and create around 171,000 jobs over [...]
IPPR think tank: one in three UK working mothers are breadwinners October 20, 2015 One in three working mothers in Britain are the breadwinners in their families, according to a new report out today from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). IPPR, a think tank, found that the proportion of maternal breadwinners rose from 23 per cent nearly two decades ago to 33 per cent in 2013. The [...]
Federation of Small Businesses sends wish list to London mayoral hopefuls October 20, 2015 Small businesses in the capital are calling on the next mayor of London to work to bring down property costs. In a report released today, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) London laid out a “London Manifesto” for Boris Johnson’s successor. After polling nearly 7,000 small businesses in London on their biggest concerns for City [...]
Shelter warns government’s plans to freeze housing benefit could be devastating for London families October 20, 2015 Government plans to freeze housing benefit could have a devastating on over 100,000 families who privately rent in London, according to new research from housing charity Shelter. The freeze, which comes into force next April, will keep housing benefit, which helps lower income families to pay rent – and only covers rents in the cheapest third [...]
Treasury reveals £15bn annual saving from chancellor George Osborne’s tax credit reforms October 19, 2015 The government has leapt to the defence of its plan to slash tax credits, publishing figures that reveal a £15bn annual saving from reforms introduced since 2010. Chancellor George Osborne is under growing pressure to row back on his plan to slash the threshold at which tax credits start to be withdrawn. Some members of his [...]
EU referendum: Bank of England governor Mark Carney poised to make Brexit intervention October 19, 2015 Bank of England governor Mark Carney could make a major intervention in the Brexit debate tomorrow when the Bank publishes its view on the impact of a British exit from the EU. In the run up to last year’s vote on Scottish Independence BoE governor Mark Carney dealt a blow to separatists when he said that [...]
Retailers should “play Black Friday down”, warns John Lewis boss October 19, 2015 The boss of John Lewis – one of the UK's most vocal supporters of Black Friday – has urged other retailers to “play it down” in future years after the sales bonanza led to havoc on the high street. Although the business reported record sales for the week in which Black Friday (November 28) [...]
Lord Norman Warner resigns Labour whip and takes leaving jab at Jeremy Corbyn October 19, 2015 Labour peer Lord Norman Warner has resigned the Labour whip saying the party was no longer a credible one, according to reports. In his resignation letter to party leader Jeremy Corbyn seen by the Guardian, he is reported as saying: Labour will only win another election with a policy approach that wins back people who [...]