London houses now average £500,000, as UK-wide prices rise at fastest rate in 14 years May 19, 2021 London houses now average £500,000, as UK-wide prices rise at fastest rate in 14 years
Shell’s shareholders vote for its climate strategy, despite growing support for its activist rival May 18, 2021 Energy giant Shell saw its shareholders overwhelmingly support the company’s energy transition strategy today, despite growing backing for a second climate resolution filed by an activist group. An advisory vote on its climate strategy, which meant it was a non-binding resolution, won 88.74 per cent shareholder support at its annual general meeting (AGM) today. The [...]
Net Zero: New oil, gas and coal development must end this year, IEA says May 18, 2021 New oil and gas field development and extraction must end this year, while no new coal-fired power stations can be built if the Earth is to stay within safe limits of global warming, the world’s leading energy organisation has said today. Halting developments is fundamental to meeting the net-zero emissions goal by 2050, to keep [...]
On the Brightside May 17, 2021 As COO at Brightside, Rachel Pigott CA helps young people access education and career mentoring. She tells Ryan Herman why the pandemic has made the charity’s work more important than ever. This article first appeared in ICAS’ CA magazine. Pre-pandemic, if you came from a professional family, you were more than twice as likely to [...]
UK GDP falls in Q1 but Sunak confident in recovery after March rebound May 12, 2021 Britain’s economy grew by a stronger-than-expected 2.1 per cent in March, picking up speed in what Chancellor Rishi Sunak expects to be a sharp economic comeback. The monthly growth beat economists’ predictions of a 1.3 per cent leap, the Office for National Statistics said this morning. “Despite a difficult start to this year, economic growth [...]
Exclusive: Quarter of UK businesses to close or downsize offices as UK embraces hybrid working May 10, 2021 More than a quarter (26%) of UK businesses will either close, downsize or consolidate their offices in the coming months, as companies move to hybrid working models. More than half (53%) of businesses plan to offer more flexible or remote working policies, while 30 per cent are expecting employees in the office between one and [...]
UK business borrowing forecasts fall by £7bn on recovery hopes May 10, 2021 Forecasts for UK business borrowing have been slashed as the economy rebounds from the Covid-19 pandemic more quickly than anticipated. Banks are set to lend £19bn to British companies this year, up four per cent year on year but down from the £26bn forecast in February. Growth is set to slow further in 2022 to [...]
Ministers to start searching for new audit watchdog chair May 7, 2021 The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will shortly kick off the search for the new chair of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC). BEIS will advertise for the role in the coming weeks, Sky News first reported. The FRC’s current interim chair Keith Skeoch has reportedly had his contract extended in recent weeks [...]
The recovery is in full swing: UK set for best growth since Second World War May 6, 2021 The economy will grow this year at its fastest pace since the Second World War as Britain stages a vaccine-fuelled recovery. Gross domestic product will rebound by 7.25 per cent in 2021, up from its previous prediction of 5 per cent and the best year of growth since 1941, according to the Bank of England [...]
Bank of England meeting: What to expect later today May 6, 2021 With more than 50m doses of the Covid vaccine administered and positive signs of economic recovery, all eyes will be on the Bank of England later today. While restrictions were reintroduced in the first quarter the hit to GDP seems to have been less than originally expected, and there are encouraging signs in the second [...]