Yanis Varoufakis gets official backing but Greek bailout deal proves elusive May 5, 2015 Greece's government yesterday said it backed finance minister Yanis Varoufakis and remained intent on securing extra bailout funding. However, comments from officials suggested talks with creditors may continue to stall ahead of two payments to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) – one tomorrow and another on 12 May totalling almost €1bn (£0.7bn). “The [...]
Super Mario Draghi: Age of unwinding? – CNBC Comment May 4, 2015 THE PAST few years have seen central banks invested with almost super hero-like powers. Super Mario Draghi might not be one of the characters in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but his powers are almost as impressive as Iron Man’s. And has Iron Man ever pumped so much money into the Eurozone’s financial system that he [...]
General Election 2015: Nicola Sturgeon ups stakes over legitimacy without “Scottish voices” May 4, 2015 Nicola Sturgeon has opened up fresh questions over the legitimacy of the next government if the General Election produces a hung parliament. Speaking on the campaign trail in Dumfries on Sunday the first minister said a government that did not reflect the choice of the Scottish electorate would not be legitimate. "Surely a test of [...]
David Axelrod compares embattled Douglas Alexander to Barack Obama May 4, 2015 Labour's shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander, who is battling to cling on to his Paisley and Renfrewshire South seat, has been compared to Barack Obama by the man who was instrumental to the President's two election victories. David Axelrod who served as a senior adviser to Obama and is now working as a consultant for [...]
Nigel Farage accuses pollsters of “voodoo science” when it comes to Ukip May 3, 2015 Nigel Farage has argued that despite pollsters indicating a decline in Ukip's popularity, it is actually “going up in the polls”. During an interview with BBC One's Andrew Marr show, he said there had been a “very desperate attempt to talk Ukip down in recent months”, and that some of the polling organisations of using [...]
Tidjane Thiam will be replaced by Mike Wells as Prudential chief exec May 1, 2015 Prudential has found its successor for departing chief executive Tidjane Thiam – and they haven't had to look too far. Mike Wells, head of the company's US arm Jackson National Life, will step into the role vacated by the popular Thiam, who is leaving to head up Credit Suisse. The 55-year-old will replace a resoundingly popular [...]
Nicola Sturgeon “appalled” by Miliband and says Scotland will never forgive Labour if the Tories form a government May 1, 2015 Nicola Sturgeon has launched a stinging attack on Ed Miliband saying she is "appalled" that Labour has ruled out doing a deal with SNP if the General Election produces a hung parliament. Speaking on a special Question Time programme aired in Scotland, the First Minister said Scotland would never forgive Miliband if the Conservatives were [...]
Watch: Warren Buffett sings Coca-Cola song, plays ukelele to shareholders ahead of Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting May 1, 2015 Warren Buffett loves Coca-Cola. But how much? Well, he's the drinks company's biggest shareholder with a nine per cent stake. He's also one-quarter Coca-Cola – not in stock, but physically, drinking five helpings of the drink every day. He loves Cherry Coke especially. Now, he's shared his love for the drink with shareholders at Coca-Cola's [...]
Martin Sorrell is best paid FTSE boss pocketing £43m but WPP braces for fresh shareholder row April 30, 2015 Global advertising giant WPP hiked chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell’s pay by 43 per cent for 2014, taking his awards to £43m and making him the best paid boss in the FTSE 100. The payout comes after years of shareholder rebellions at the firm’s annual general meetings. In 2012, a majority of shareholders voted against [...]
Clapham Junction train chaos: Incompetence leads to more travel delays for commuters, says Chuka Umunna April 30, 2015 Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna said last night that “everyday incompetence, more than extraordinary circumstance,” is causing repeated travel delays for London commuters. Umunna’s comments came after a day of disastrous travel for south Londoners. An electrical problem at Clapham Junction prompted the cancellation of all trains in and out of Victoria station, leaving [...]