Drinks giant Diageo lowers sales target amid trade tensions January 30, 2020 Beverage behemoth Diageo’s net sales grew by four per cent in the final sixth months of 2019, boosted by growth in the North America and Asia Pacific regions. However, the Guinness-maker cut its sales forecast for the year to June to the lower end of its four to six per cent target as it cited [...]
HS2 is not just another transport project — it’s about the very bones of our economy. January 30, 2020 Over the coming weeks, the government will publish at last the Oakervee report into HS2. The review looks likely to give the green light to this massive investment in the infrastructure of the north and the Midlands — and it’s certain that there will be an almighty row about it. As always with any infrastructure [...]
The BBC keeps scoring own goals with its internal comms January 30, 2020 Like the perfect colour for a cup of tea (green, in my case), it seems that everyone in the UK must have an opinion on the BBC. Auntie, age 97, has become loathed in some quarters of the right-wing press, with omnipresent claims of BBC bias, and equally hated in sections of the left-wing media, [...]
The UK must show faith in the OECD, not go it alone with a digital services levy January 30, 2020 Following months of brewing trade tensions between France and the US, centred around President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to regulate big tech, headlines from last week showed a victory for an integrated approach, as France agreed to delay its digital tax. The country will postpone applying a three per cent levy on the likes of Google [...]
City Moves for 30 January – Who’s switching jobs at Digital UK, Aspen and Optilan? January 30, 2020 Today’s City Moves includes Digital UK, Aspen and Optilan Digital UK Freeview platform operator, Digital UK has appointed Sarah Milton as chief operating officer. Her remit will incorporate the day-to-day running of the Freeview service as well as customer support and experience. Sarah spent 15 years at Channel 4, where she was at the forefront [...]
SMMT: UK car output falls for third year running January 30, 2020 British car production is down for the third consecutive year as weakened consumer and business confidence put the brakes on the industry. Manufacturing fell 14.2 per cent last year to 1.3m units, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), with a 6.7 per cent fall in December. The trade association said output [...]
Law firms lead Stonewall’s top LGBT-inclusive employers January 30, 2020 City law firms are some of this year’s most inclusive employers for the LGBT community, with 15 topping Stonewall’s employers of the year. Legal organisations were the second most inclusive sector, with fifteen firms on the list. Last year’s winners Pinsent Masons topped the private sector employers at fourth place. Mayer Brown and the Solicitors Regulation [...]
London business confidence soars to highest in UK following election January 30, 2020 Business confidence in London jumped during January as the decisive General Election result helped boost the morale of firms in the capital, figures released today show. The business confidence of London companies leapt 22 points to 38 per cent in January, reaching the highest level of any region, according to the latest Business Barometer from [...]
Retail property market misses out on ‘Boris bounce’ January 30, 2020 London’s retail property market has continued to struggle, despite a bounce in the wider commercial real estate sector driven by the General Election result. Occupier demand in the retail sector fell in the fourth quarter of last year, according to research published today that found 70 per cent of chartered surveyors in the capital had [...]
UK ad spend grows as brands splash cash on streaming hits January 30, 2020 Fanatical film and TV fans helped drive up UK advertising spend in the third quarter, as the video on-demand and cinema sectors continued their recent run of good form. Brands splashed out £5.97bn over the period, up 5.6 per cent year on year but down marginally on the second quarter. The figures, which mark the [...]