UK productivity falls at fastest rate in five years October 8, 2019 UK productivity fell at the quickest pace in five years in the second quarter, official figures showed today, marking a worsening of Britain’s decade-long productivity crisis. Read more: Brexit prep has cut UK productivity, says Bank of England Output per hour worked dropped 0.5 per cent in the three months from April to June compared [...]
Bank of England governor appointment ‘on track’, says chancellor Sajid Javid October 8, 2019 Chancellor Sajid Javid has stressed plans to appoint a new Bank of England governor are still “on track”, despite resources being redeployed towards Brexit planning. Javid has written to the Treasury Select Committee – which is still without a chair after Nicky Morgan entered government this summer – to reassure MPs that a new head [...]
Mark Carney says Bank of England to stress test banks with ‘catastrophic’ climate scenario October 8, 2019 Bank of England governor Mark Carney has reiterated Threadneedle Street’s intention to stress test banks against a number of “climate pathways,” including a “catastrophic business as usual scenario”. Read more: Bank of England’s Mark Carney says UK now better prepared for no-deal Brexit Speaking at a summit about climate change and banking in Japan, Carney [...]
UK insolvency rates tipped to grow by 10 per cent in 2019 October 7, 2019 Global insolvency rates are rising for the first time since the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash with the UK expected to be the worst hit, according to a multinational insurance company. An insolvency outlook report by Atradius forecasts business failure rates will increase by 10 per cent this year in Britain and by 2.7 [...]
The City Corporation is leading the charge for a greener, cleaner, plastic-free capital October 7, 2019 Brexit has been top of the agenda for many City firms in recent years, but one issue that could disrupt business models even more significantly in coming decades is climate change. In the words of Bank of England governor Mark Carney, the transition to a carbon-neutral economy poses an existential challenge – and it is [...]
The next Bank of England governor must be prepared for a political storm October 6, 2019 When Dame Helena Morrissey revealed she was standing down from Legal & General last week, the City rumour mill was sent into overdrive. The Square Mile veteran and champion of boardroom equality said only that “in a changing Britain” she had “a lot of ideas and other things to achieve”. This rather enigmatic sign-off will [...]
Paypal first firm to drop out of Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency October 5, 2019 Paypal has pulled out of an alliance attempting to launch Facebook’s digital currency Libra. The payment firm announced its decision on Friday in a statement but did not reveal why the decision has been made. The cryptocurrency and its digital wallet, Calibra, were revealed by Facebook in June. Read more: Libra co-founder hits out at [...]
Extinction Rebellion targets City of London in two weeks of protests October 4, 2019 Climate change activist group Extinction Rebellion is preparing to launch another mass demonstration across London. The protest group claims the fortnight of action, which begins on Monday, will be five times bigger than demonstrations in April, which saw hundreds of people arrested. Read more: Eight arrested after Extinction Rebellion lose control of fake blood fire [...]
Dame Helena Morrissey to quit Legal & General Investment Management October 4, 2019 City superstar Dame Helena Morrissey has quit Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) after almost two and a half years at the company. Read more: Could Dame Helena Morrissey be the next Bank of England boss? Morrissey, a vocal advocate of Brexit, said she has “a lot of ideas” she wishes to pursue in a [...]
Skills shortage to cost small UK businesses £145,000 next year October 3, 2019 Small and medium-sized British businesses face a shortage of skilled employees that will cost them on average £145,000 next year, according to new research. Read more: Brexit prep has cut productivity of UK businesses, says Bank of England The so-called skills gap has widened as a result of “a shrinking talent pool due to Brexit” [...]