Winners and losers of Living Wage campaign – The City View September 7, 2015 The problem with nuance and complexity is that they get in the way of simple government announcements. Take, as a prime example, the debate around the national minimum wage (NMW). The Low Pay Commission (LPC) was created in 1998 to offer independent advice on the NMW – precisely because politicians were deemed incapable of resisting [...]
Cameron: Drone strikes were authorised on British citizens September 7, 2015 THE GOVERNMENT authorised an unprecedented “precision” airstrike to kill British nationals in Syria last month, Prime Minister David Cameron said yesterday. Reyaad Khan, a 21-year-old from Cardiff who was affiliated with Islamic State (IS), was targeted and killed on 21 August by an RAF drone near Raqqah in Syria, Cameron said. British aircraft are understood to [...]
IoD: Make it easier for investors to put their money into UK startups September 7, 2015 BUSINESS directors want the government to simplify existing tax relief schemes in order to boost entrepreneurship. In a new report out this week, the Institute of Directors (IoD) argues that the full potential of the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) is “not fully being realised”. “EIS and SEIS can open [...]
Cala Homes targets £1bn sales by 2020 after record profits September 7, 2015 UPMARKET housebuilder Cala delivered a record number of house sales last year as part of a major expansion drive that will see it reach £1bn sales within five years. The Edinburgh-based group, which builds high-end homes in affluent areas in the south of England as well as Scotland, said completions leapt by 34 per cent [...]
House of Lords reform 2015: Apathetic Lords cost the UK nearly £1.3m last year says new report September 7, 2015 Looks like our favourite antiquated arm of the legislature, the House of Lords, just can’t stay out of trouble. At the end of August, the government announced 45 new peers, taking it to 850 members and subsequently enduring some heavy criticism from the UK press. Now a new report from the Electoral Reform Society claims [...]
China fears sap investor sentiment September 7, 2015 GLOBAL investor sentiment took a turn for the worst in September, as fears over China took the outlook for Asia excluding Japan to its most negative since 2009. Investor confidence has been heavily impacted by recent extreme volatility in Chinese stock markets, with the Sentix’s measure of sentiment toward Asia excluding Japan yesterday falling to minus [...]
Topland starts to make its Hallmark September 7, 2015 PROPERTY giant Topland Group is making its mark on the UK hospitality industry after announcing the launch of its own 20 property-strong Hallmark Hotels brand. Following the acquisition of Hallmark Hotels and Menzies Hotels in recent years, Topland Group, is bringing all 20 properties from Hallmark and Menzies Hotels together under the newly extended Hallmark [...]
Consumer shopping sprees keep UK freight trains chugging along September 7, 2015 RISING consumer spending, faster delivery services and a jump in UK car manufacturing has sent the number of goods needing to be sent up and down the country by freight trains steaming ahead, according to new research from Network Rail. In a report published in partnership with Royal Mail and the Co-op, Network Rail said [...]
Barclays offloads UK loans portfolio to Goldman Sachs-led consortium September 7, 2015 Barclays continued its asset sell-off yesterday, offloading its UK secured lending arm to a consortium led by Goldman Sachs. Since chief executive Antony Jenkins was replaced in July, the bank has picked up the pace of its cost-cutting under chairman John McFarlane. Earlier this month, it sold most of its Portuguese business, representing a £1.7bn [...]
Dechra pharmaceuticals reports rise in pre-tax profits from £21.4m to £25.8m September 7, 2015 Dechra Pharmaceuticals yesterday reported a rise in pre-tax profit for its recently ended financial year. For the year to 30 June, the veterinary pharmaceutical business posted a pre-tax profit of £25.8m, up from £21.4m a year before. This came on a 5.1 per cent rise in revenue to £203.5m from £193.6m. “The board believes that [...]
