Britain’s trade bodies must confront challenges of their own January 31, 2019 What does the future hold for Britain's trade bodies? We hear a great deal about the disruption that poses huge challenges to their members but what of the disruption facing membership groups themselves? Many are struggling with declining membership rates, or the competing interests of the members who do remain. Take the British Retail Consortium [...]
Theresa May calls for Brexit negotiations to reopen after MPs back new plan January 29, 2019 Theresa May will launch an audacious bid to reopen Brexit negotiations with the EU after MPs voted in favour of reforming the contentious Irish border backstop arrangements. After a night of high drama, during which MPs voted against a plan that could have delayed Brexit, the Prime Minister said she had a fresh mandate to [...]
Hilton steps up UK presence with four new hotels in £200m partnership January 28, 2019 Hilton is ramping up the size of its UK hotel empire after announcing a £200m investment partnership with private equity business Dominvs Group today, as it plans to build three more hotels in London and one in Bath. Among the new acquisitions are two hotels on either side of the Square Mile, with Creed Court [...]
The perfect brand name doesn’t exist, so stop searching for it January 28, 2019 Naming a brand is often a tortured process, full of impassioned argument and furrowed brows. Everyone wants to find that silver bullet: the simple, unique name that crystallises everything important about the brand. Well, stop looking. Because you won’t find it – and you don’t need to. Names matter, but never as much as they [...]
Here’s what happened to the UK professional jobs market in 2018 and what to watch out for in 2019 January 24, 2019 It is not unusual after the rest and relaxation of Christmas for people to consider their current career path and decide to search for new opportunities. But it’s also important for these prospective jobseekers – and hiring managers – to look back at the previous year, in order to learn about the current state of [...]
The European Court of Justice must answer two key questions on the right to be forgotten January 21, 2019 A search on someone’s name in Google reveals a great deal about them. This might include where they work or went to school, as well as more private information such as their religion, sex life, or criminal convictions. In 2014, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) decided that individuals can protect their privacy by delisting [...]
Workplaces need to be LGBT-inclusive so workers feel safe to be themselves January 21, 2019 Today, we unveil our annual list of the UK’s top 100 LGBT-inclusive employers. It’s a diverse mix of private, public, and third sector organisations, with international law firm, Pinsent Masons, claiming the top spot. We started the Workplace Equality Index in 2005 to raise awareness and partner with organisations to create more inclusive workplaces across [...]
Just Eat boss quits in unexpected resignation January 21, 2019 Just Eat chief executive Peter Plumb is to step down from his role at the British takeaway ordering website with immediate effect, the firm revealed this morning. In an unexpected announcement Just Eat said that Plumb is to be replaced after 16 months at the helm on an interim basis by current chief customer officer Peter Duffy [...]
House of Commons Speaker John Bercow set to be denied peerage by Theresa May January 18, 2019 Ministers have moved to block House of Commons Speaker John Bercow from being offered a seat in the House of Lords in a bid to punish him for Brexit debate “bias”. Bercow would become the first speaker in 230 years to have his peerage blocked as they are usually automatically offered a seat in the [...]
Fears over business rates mount as Britain’s major retailers prepare to form action group January 13, 2019 Some of Britain’s biggest retailers are coming together in an urgent bid to seek business rates relief from the government, City A.M. has learned. Around 50 major high street names are joining a mass lobbying effort to curb forthcoming rises in their property tax, as profits plunge in the face of falling sales and online [...]