RIP for RPI? Economist says measure is flawed and consumer price index should be replaced by CPIH January 8, 2015 An influential economist has told the government it should scrap the measures of inflation that it currently uses to influence public sector pay rises, train fares, and even government bonds. The consumer price index (CPI) should be replaced as the headline measure of inflation by a new one called CPIH, which includes owner-occupied housing costs, the [...]
Cameron: I won’t join TV debates without Greens January 8, 2015 DAVID Cameron has drawn a firm line in the sand over the proposed TV election debates, vowing not to take part unless the Green party is invited too. The Prime Minister’s tough stance on the issue came after regulator Ofcom published provisional guidance suggesting that the Green party has not secured enough support in previous [...]
Magna Carta: Backed by the City – Bottom Line January 8, 2015 Happy 2015: despite this week’s horrifying atrocity in France, it’s going to be an extraordinary year. Not just for the sharp downward trends in oil, food and retail prices reshaping the business landscape even as they prove a welcome January gift for hard-pressed Brits. Nor even for the electoral wrestling-match set to occupy the next [...]
EU regulation is not helping UK, report claims January 8, 2015 FINANCIAL regulation introduced by Europe in recent years has increasingly benefited the Eurozone at the expense of Britain, a report out today warns. Eurosceptic group Business for Britain has published the findings of Europe Economics, which claims that recent regulation has been less beneficial to the UK and that much of it would not have [...]
China at risk of financial crisis, bankers warn January 8, 2015 CHINESE President Xi’s strategy of slower economic growth could be “lethal” for the country’s financial system, according to a report from Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BoAML). Analysts at the bank said they expect the Chinese market to be “choppy” in 2015, and warned of a heightened debt default risk. It also cautioned investors to [...]
Ted Baker reaps good tidings from Christmas January 8, 2015 LUXURY fashion group Ted Baker has had a good Christmas. It saw retail sales up 23 per cent year-on-year in the eight weeks to 3 January and enjoyed a 66 per cent rise in online sales. “We will continue to invest in people and infrastructure as we expand the Ted Baker brand globally,” said chief [...]
Charlie Hebdo shooting: MI5 chief Andrew Parker warns of Paris-style attack in Britain January 8, 2015 The head of Britain’s domestic security service yesterday warned that terrorists are planning a Paris-style terrorist atrocity against Britain. And in a stark warning, MI5 chief Andrew Parker said: “Although we and our partners try our utmost, we know we cannot hope to stop everything.” He said that the threat of a “mass casualty attack” [...]
M&S share price tumbles as Christmas delivery woes send sale figures plunging January 8, 2015 Delivery problems over the Christmas period have been blamed for poor quarterly results at Marks and Spencers, which sent shares tumbling by more than 3.5 per cent yesterday. The firm reported that sales of general merchandise, which included clothing and homewares, fell 5.4 per cent in the three months to 27 December, while international sales [...]
EasyJet finance chief is to leave January 8, 2015 BUDGET airline EasyJet has begun looking for a new chief financial officer to replace Chris Kennedy, who is leaving to take up the same role at Arm Holdings. Kennedy is replacing Tim Score at software company Arm, but will not join the firm until EasyJet has secured his successor. He has been a member of [...]
StanChart cuts 4,000 jobs in savings drive January 8, 2015 STANDARD Chartered closed its cash equities business yesterday, cutting 200 jobs across the world. The British-headquartered emerging markets bank has now cut 2,000 jobs and expects to cut another 2,000 this year, as it restructures its business to save money and shore up profits. StanChart expects to achieve most of this by not replacing staff when [...]
