It is high time voters were given the right to recall their MPs June 3, 2014 WE SHALL soon find out whether the coalition is serious about introducing a right of recall for Members of Parliament. The whole concept is revolutionary; embracing it in a proper way would transform British politics forever and help re-establish the bond between voters and those they elect to represent them. The basic idea is simple: [...]
Rapid surge in building causes supply squeeze June 3, 2014 UK BUILDERS are still reporting a powerful upswing in business conditions, coupled with emerging constraints on supply, according to a major survey of construction firms released yesterday. Markit and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) released their purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for construction yesterday, with a score of 60 for May. A figure [...]
Ex-RBS trader settles claim June 3, 2014 A FORMER Royal Bank of Scotland manager who claimed unfair dismissal and racial discrimination over his firing from the bank as part of its investigation into the Libor scandal settled his case out of court yesterday. Jezri Mohideen, a former trader, only filed the claim against the bank last week. But his lawyer Antony Brown, [...]
Icahn buys into state lenders June 3, 2014 ACTIVIST investor Carl Icahn has acquired $50m (£30m) worth of common shares in US government-backed lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from Fairholme Funds, it has been revealed. Icahn, who is well known for acquiring large stakes in companies and using his position to drive through change, bought 6.8m shares in Fannie Mae and 5.7m [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 04 June 2014 June 3, 2014 FINANCIAL TIMES Bildt warns of British Balkanisation Sweden’s foreign minister has warned that Scottish independence would lead to the “Balkanisation of the British Isles” and have far-reaching consequences for the rest of Europe, in the strongest expression of concern from another EU government so far. Carl Bildt told the Financial Times that there would be [...]
Terry Smith to quit as boss of Tullett Prebon June 3, 2014 INTERDEALER broker Tullett Prebon yesterday confirmed high profile chief executive and City veteran Terry Smith will step down from the group after nearly eight years at the helm. Speculation about Smith’s departure, which first emerged on Monday, sent shares up nearly five per cent yesterday prior to the statement, made after markets closed last night. [...]
Turbulent tax take would hit split Scotland June 3, 2014 THE SCOTTISH government’s vision of post-independence spending is poorly balanced, and volatile oil revenues would make the country’s deficit unsustainable, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). Researchers for the IFS, which acts as a public spending watchdog, says financial commitments included in the Scottish government’s white paper are twice as high as proposed [...]
Code to protect pubs could see 500 shut down June 3, 2014 OVER 500 pubs could close as part of the government’s proposals to protect publicans with a statutory code to govern their relationship with large pub companies. Britain’s 25,000 tenanted pubs will be given the power to challenge the biggest pub landlords. The government admitted that this change could lead to closures in the already struggling [...]
Pensions, zero-hours crackdown and recall all in Queen’s speech June 3, 2014 THE QUEEN will deliver her speech to MPs and Lords in Westminster later today, detailing the government’s policy commitments for the last year of this parliament. The contents of the speech, agreed upon with the Prime Minister, have already been widely briefed, with pensions reform leading the agenda. A crackdown on zero-hours contracts will be [...]
G7 begins with Putin shut out June 3, 2014 DAVID Cameron will travel to Brussels today for the G7 summit, replacing the G8 meeting which was due to be hosted by Russia’s President Putin in Sochi. The Prime Minister will meet with President Obama tomorrow for the first time this year to discuss the situation in Ukraine ahead of his meeting with Putin, who has [...]
