London house prices: The property rental market is being haunted by ghost-listings October 15, 2015 The crazy London property market has created another spectre that will leave renters with a chill down their spine. The letting market is being haunted by ghost-listings – ads for properties to rent that don't really exist. Eerily reminiscent of ghost gazumping which plagued house buyers last year, some estate agents (as if they weren't despised enough) are listing details of properties they've nicked [...]
London house prices might be mind-boggling for renters and young buyers, but it’s forcing creative solutions to the problem like never before October 15, 2015 This month, Daniel Radcliffe reportedly put his New York apartment up for rent at an eye-watering price of $19,000 (£12,500) per month. But now you can live the real “Harry Potter” lifestyle for a snip of the cost after an eager London renter in search of a new home tweeted a ‘room’ that was available to rent [...]
SNP conference 2015: Nicola Sturgeon says Brexit could lead to another independence referendum October 15, 2015 Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon doubled down today on her warning to Prime Minister David Cameron that Britain leaving the European Union could spark another Scottish independence referendum. Speaking at the SNP conference in Aberdeen, Sturgeon said taking Scotland out of the EU will result in a surge of demand for yet another in/out vote. "If [...]
The Apprentice 2015 candidates: Hardly any City folk want to work for Alan Sugar any more October 15, 2015 Though stars of The Apprentice are already jumping through hoops to work with TV finger pointer Lord Sugar, City workers are the most apathetic they’ve ever been about the show, with most lawyers and accountants saying they would never quit their jobs to go and work for the man himself. Some 18 per cent of lawyers [...]
US inflation rate drops to zero in September but core inflation is nearly on target October 15, 2015 Annual inflation in the US dropped to zero per cent last month from 0.2 per cent in August, weighed down by cheap fuel, according to figures released today by the Bureau for Labor Statistics. The consumer price index (CPI) – the basket of goods and services used to measure inflation – fell 0.2 per cent from [...]
EU referendum: Prime Minister David Cameron says he’ll spell out his demands in November October 15, 2015 After months of speculation, Prime Minister David Cameron has finally set a date for spelling out his demands to the European Union – and it's only weeks away. Cameron told reporters in Brussels today that the pace of renegotiation efforts between Britain and the EU would "quicken" and that he would set out "four vital areas where [...]
Barclays is teaming up with blockchain startups Chainalysis and Wave as the bank’s bitcoin experiment expands October 15, 2015 Barclays has signed contracts with two blockchain startups in what the bank is calling a “game-changer”. This is one of the first times a major bank has opened up for such a cooperation with blockchain clients, as many bitcoin companies have had difficulties gaining access to banking services. Barclays chief design and innovation officer Derek [...]
Adam Posen, Simon Wren-Lewis and Lord John McFall to join former rate-setter Danny Blanchflower on Labour committee reviewing the Bank of England’s remit October 15, 2015 Labour economic adviser David "Danny" Blanchflower will be joined by US economist Adam Posen, Oxford professor Simon Wren-Lewis, and former Treasury Select Committee chair Lord John McFall, to develop proposals for a change to Bank of England’s remit. The Bank currently adjusts interest rates to ensure inflation will be two per cent over a two-year horizon. Read more: Blanchflower [...]
When it comes to fair practices for small business the government is tinkering at the edges: The UK must outlaw late payments completely October 15, 2015 The time has come to ban payment of invoices after 90 days to signal the end of Britain’s late payment culture and deliver a much-needed boost to small and medium-sized businesses. SMEs are being stifled by a lack of funding from traditional banks, which has cost the UK economy an estimated £2.9bn in lost turnover [...]