Events January 27, 2011 DAVOS: FRIDAY 28 JAN 7.00am: Mahindra Group hosts a panel discussion on “Disruptive Demographics” in the Arabella Sheraton Hotel Seehof. 7.30am: The Confederation of Indian Industry and private equity group KKR host a breakfast in the Central Sporthotel. 7.30am: Standard Chartered breakfast debate on “too much or too little or just right” on regulation at [...]
Why two Eds may be better than one for Labour Party January 27, 2011 CONSERVATIVE commentators are licking their lips at the thought of Ed Balls as shadow chancellor. Here are Labour’s supposed economic failures on the economy, the deficit and financial regulation all beautifully personified. Better still Balls now has to work at the beck and call of his former sidekick, and they expect his over-weaning ambition to [...]
Lawyers warn employment claims may spike after tribunal reforms January 27, 2011 PROPOSED changes to employment tribunal laws risk encouraging lengthier, more expensive claims that could mean businesses having to pay uncapped compensation fees. The employment tribunal reforms – announced yesterday by the government – aim to reduce unfair dismissal claims by changing the qualification period from one to two years. But the changes could lead unhappy [...]
BRIT MODEL PUTS HER FACE TO BIG RACE DAY January 27, 2011 Investec has announced that British supermodel Erin O’Connor will become the official face of the Investec Derby Festival in June, one of the most iconic social and sporting events of the summer. Her selection marks the first time in the race’s history that the honour has not been given to a horse racing celebrity. While [...]
Christie’s announces record-breaking sales of £3bn January 27, 2011 AUCTION house Christie’s notched up £3.3bn of sales in 2010 – the highest total in its 244-year history – as the art market continued to defy the global slump. It was a year of record-breaking firsts for the auctioneer, with global sales up by 53 per cent. Pablo Picasso’s Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust fetched [...]
Work restarts on British Land’s Cheesegrater January 27, 2011 CONSTRUCTION work has restarted on the Cheesegrater tower on Leadenhall Street after developers British Land and Oxford Properties agreed to fund the £340m project as a joint venture. The 47-storey tower, officially named the Leadenhall Building, was shelved in 2008 amid uncertainty in the London property market. Builders returned to the site yesterday to restart [...]
Great Portland Estates portfolio lifted by strong London demand January 27, 2011 GREAT Portland Estates (GPE) said yesterday that rising property values helped push its net asset value up 3.8 per cent in the last three months of 2010. The FTSE 250-listed landlord now owns properties worth £1.55bn, which the firm said has been boosted by strong demand for leasing and investments in central London. Office rental [...]
High street sales growth in slowdown January 27, 2011 RETAIL sales for January are up on the same time last year, yet sales growth slowed considerably, according to the Confederation for British Industry (CBI). And consumer confidence has plummeted to a 12 month low, separate data from researchers GfK NOP revealed today. The positive balance of retailers reporting a year-on-year increase in sales dropped [...]
Eurozone remains confident January 27, 2011 OVERALL economic morale across the Eurozone fell slightly this month, yet remains well above its long term average, official data revealed yesterday. The EU’s economic sentiment indicator (ESI) came in at 106.5, after a revised 106.6 in December. The minor slip came after seven straight months of improvement in the index, and surprised economists in [...]
More than half of UK fraud occurs in the public sector January 27, 2011 FRAUD in the public sector costs the UK £21bn a year, official data revealed yesterday. The government sector accounts for 55 per cent of all fraud, the National Fraud Authority (NFA) said. “That’s the equivalent of employing over 615,000 nurses,” said cabinet office minister Francis Maude. “Ripping off the taxpayer will not be tolerated.” “There [...]
