With Francois Fillon limping on, is centrist Emmanuel Macron going to be the next French President? March 2, 2017 Famke Krumbmüller, partner at OpenCitiz, the political risk consultancy, says Yes. Once he qualifies for the second round, Emmanuel Macron will win it against Marine Le Pen. The ex-Rothschild banker is able to attract votes from across the political spectrum and is hence best placed among all candidates to beat the far-right (with 61 per [...]
Academics are becoming more and more left-wing, this free market think tank has warned March 2, 2017 The UK's academics are increasingly dominated by the left-wing, according to a new study from a free-market think tank. An estimated three-quarters of academics are left-liberals, according to the Adam Smith Institute, which said the figure reveals the dangers of groupthink in the UK's universities. By contract, just 12 per cent of British academics consider [...]
London’s new super sewer could add up to £25 to water bills by the early 2020s March 2, 2017 London's new super sewer is set to add up to £25 to water bills in the capital, according to a report from the UK's public spending watchdog. The Thames Tideway Tunnel is expected to cost a total of £4.2bn, and but the National Audit Office today warned it remains unclear how much Thames Water customers [...]
New York wins big in global IPO boom – and that’s even before Snap’s flotation is counted March 2, 2017 The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), home to this week’s eagerly-awaited IPO from Snap, has been the most popular exchange for new listings globally so far this year. The findings come as new data shows that the number of flotations worldwide has surged to levels not seen since before the credit crunch. With 187 offerings [...]
Christian Horner says Formula One must attract more fans to keep Red Bull in the sport March 2, 2017 Christian Horner, principal of Red Bull Racing, has said his team could quit Formula One if the sport fails to attract more fans. Speaking to City A.M. ahead of Red Bull’s 13th season in F1, Horner said the company "will pay a very keen watching brief to see what is going to be the future [...]
Weak income growth set to hit poor households with children, warns the Institute for Fiscal Studies March 2, 2017 Median household income will not grow at all for the next two years, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has predicted. In a new report published today, the IFS pointed out that if the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR)’s forecast for average earnings is correct, median household income will not grow and will be just four [...]
The SMMT says “anti-diesel agenda” could hinder progress made by car industry on cutting CO2 emissions March 2, 2017 Despite UK CO2 emissions falling for the 19th consecutive year, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has warned an "anti-diesel agenda" threatens to impede progress. The UK car industry beat CO2 targets for last year, with carbon tailpipe emissions falling to an all-time low in 2016. They were 1.1 per cent lower than [...]
Half of UK workplaces report mental health problems, according to the Institute of Directors (IoD) March 2, 2017 Over half of British employers (54 per cent) have been approached by staff suffering mental ill health, a new survey by the Institute of Directors (IoD) has revealed. Ninety eight per cent of business leaders surveyed said good mental health is important to the performance of their organisation. However, just 14 per cent have a formal mental health policy [...]
Real estate firm takes crucial step in bringing appeal against RBS for mis-selling March 1, 2017 A real estate company has taken a key step in appealing its case against Royal Bank of Scotland, claiming the bank caused it losses through interest rates swaps mis-selling and Libor manipulation. Property Alliance Group (PAG) has filed for permission for leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal, City A.M. understands. The Manchester-based firm lost its [...]
Snap raises $3.4bn in biggest tech float since Facebook March 1, 2017 Snap raised $3.4bn (£2.8bn) amidst strong demand for shares in a New York float that gives it the biggest tech valuation since Facebook. The owner of popular messaging app Snapchat is now valued at $24bn, higher than the $22.3bn expected, Reuters reported. Snap sold 200 million shares at $17 per share, above the range it [...]