650k retail jobs lost in the past five years amid fears of unfair high street tax bills ahead June 13, 2022 Some 650,000 retail jobs have been lost in the past five years, as the high street comes under threat once more with consumer spending dropping amid historic inflation. The Centre for Retail Research has found that some 645,204 retail jobs have been lost and 72,580 stores closed across the UK since 2017. High street heavyweights [...]
The Conservative Party under Johnson has given up its devotion to freedom June 13, 2022 It was country music legend Toby Keith who observed that “Freedom don’t come free”. Nevertheless, when the Conservative Party adopted the Manchester liberalism of Margaret Thatcher nearly 50 years ago, it was willing to pay the price. Freedom, in all its forms, became a touchstone of the Conservative brand, pursued not only for its beneficial [...]
Garment workers in Leicester face ‘many constraints’ in accessing fair pay and conditions still June 13, 2022 The government must do more to tackle the exploitation of garment workers across the country, a report into Leicester workers has found. Garment workers in the city still face obstacles to fair pay and conditions, according to a study from the University of Nottingham and De Montfort University, commissioned by the Garment & Textile Workers [...]
We won’t be able to create social impact until we learn how to measure its success June 13, 2022 Today, it is more common than before for younger people to think about the ethics of a business before they pull out their contactless cards. So the pressure is on for firms to show their positive impact on society – to attract customers and talent. Morgan Stanley reported recently that millennials are twice as likely [...]
The government’s corporate audits reforms are lukewarm at best, shallow at worst June 13, 2022 In late May, the government gave more detail on how it plans to reform big corporate audits. Inappropriate audits have contributed to several significant corporate failures – including that of the late construction giant Carillion in 2018. The government has acknowledged this, producing a report which has since been the focus of a consultation. The [...]
CBI: Government must act now on economy to prevent recession June 13, 2022 Urgent action is needed from the government to revive growth otherwise the UK will plunge into a recession. That’s the warning today from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the country’s biggest business group. Without a fresh package of measures before the summer parliamentary recess to boost business confidence, a recession will be “a very [...]
Sadiq Khan sends letters to London Tory rebels calling for TfL support June 13, 2022 Sadiq Khan has sent letters to London Tory MPs who voted against Boris Johnson in last week’s leadership vote to ask them to lobby for improved Transport for London (TfL) funding. In an attempt to drive a further wedge between Johnson and his backbenchers, Khan said the MPs should “lobby the Prime Minister and the [...]
Campaigners warn childcare costs holding back careers in the City and beyond June 13, 2022 CAMPAIGNERS have warned “uniquely high” childcare costs are holding back not just the City’s diversity drive but economic growth. A new study by union the TUC suggests the average nursery bill for a family with a toddler was just shy of £5,000 in 2010 but has grown to more than £7,000 just a dozen years [...]
Letters: The pitfalls of Right to Buy June 13, 2022 [Re: Johnson unveils series of housing reforms to increase home ownership, June 9] Boris Johnson announced new policies to support home ownership on Thursday including a Right to Buy (RTB) scheme enabling housing association tenants to purchase their home. I strongly agree that it is wrong that so many households are precluded from the benefits [...]
London retains crown as Europe’s top city for foreign financial services investment June 13, 2022 London has retained its crown as Europe’s most attractive city for foreign financial services investment as investors shrug off Brexit concerns and continue to pump cash into the capital, a new survey has revealed.