Bank of England and FCA: Financial services’ bottom lines will be hit if they ignore diversity and inclusion July 8, 2021 The financial services industry, like many other areas in our society, has made slow progress in becoming more diverse and inclusive. In recent years, social movements in the U.K. and around the world, have put an acute focus on these issues. Where these wider social issues impact the statutory objectives the UK’s financial regulatory authorities [...]
Business leaders double down on hitting ESG targets July 8, 2021 British business leaders are strongly committing to hitting their ESG targets, new research published today shows. Figures compiled by Accenture, the global professional services firms, show 88 per cent of UK business leaders would not go back on their environmental, social and government commitments to meet earnings targets. Read more: Sunak reveals new climate impact [...]
Chartered Accountants must lead and champion the ICAS ethical values – the foundations for trust July 8, 2021 Every Chartered Accountant (CA) must demonstrate the highest ethical standards to fulfil their profession’s duty to the public interest. “On the subject of being uncomfortable with the ethical responsibility of leadership, the 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer found that 86 percent of people surveyed worldwide now expect CEOs to speak out on controversial social issues, with almost two-thirds [...]
Watches of Switzerland clocks £905m revenue as customers ‘disposable wealth’ swells July 8, 2021 Luxury watch group Watches of Switzerland posted a £905.1m revenue this morning, as the pandemic allowed the disposable income of its wealthy customers to swell. Total revenue grew 13.3 per cent in the 53 weeks to 2 May. Revenue in the UK alone lifted 3.6 per cent to £606.5m, making the UK the watchmakers key [...]
Ladbrokes owner Entain forecasts Euro bets to hit £250m, with more betting on Italy July 8, 2021 Gaming revenue lifts at Ladbrokes owner Entain as Brits seek lockdown escapism
High streets see the most shoppers since the beginning of the pandemic July 8, 2021 The number of shoppers on high streets, in shopping centres and in retail parks last month was the highest since the beginning of the pandemic, but still notably behind 2019 levels. The largest gains in footfall were made on high streets, which continued to benefit from the reopening of hospitality, with the number of punters [...]
Business growth returns across financial services sector in second quarter July 8, 2021 Business volumes across the financial services sector in the second quarter grew at its fastest pace since June 2017, after stalling in the previous quarter. Growth in business volumes across the financial sector in the second quarter was at 40 per cent, its fastest pace since June 2017, and is expected to continue in the [...]
One-in-three working Britons had wages subsidised by government during Covid July 8, 2021 One-in-three of the UK’s workforce had their pay subsidised by the government during Covid-19, new figures from the Treasury revealed today. The figures showed that 11.6m people were on the furlough scheme at some point throughout the pandemic, while 2.9m self-employed people made use of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. The furlough scheme has seen [...]
16 years on from 7/7 bombings: Survivor warns ‘world is a dangerous place’ July 7, 2021 Sajida Mughal OBE was one of the survivors of the 7/7 bombings and 16 years later she remembers the attack that almost claimed her life. She said “the world is no safer than it was 16 years ago, its still a dangerous place.” “For example, there has been the rise in far-right extremism and I’ve [...]
Gas firms pushed UK minister to burn more gas in transition to clean energy July 7, 2021 Fossil fuel giants lobbied a UK government minister to use more natural gas in the transition to lower carbon energy production. As reported by Channel 4, a memo released under the Freedom of Information Act details how firms pushed the then-trade minister Connor Burns to accept a “greater recognition” of gas. The document, obtained by [...]
