What cost of living crisis? MPs give themselves a pay rise of nearly 3 per cent to £84,144 April 1, 2022 MPs’ salaries rise to £84,144 from today, up by 2.7 per cent, after the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) announced last month that their pay would go up for the first time in two years. But it comes on the same day that the biggest jump in domestic energy bills in living memory has come [...]
Incoming Ofcom chair Michael Grade: BBC licence fee is ‘regressive’ March 31, 2022 The newly appointed Ofcom chair Michael Grade called the BBC licence fee “regressive” this morning, affirming the ongoing questions marks surrounding the future for the Beeb. Suggesting that this description was simply a “statement of fact”, he told the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee: “Let me just say straight away that my criticism [...]
Opinion-in-brief: Rishi is rich – he needs to stop pretending otherwise March 30, 2022 Rishi Sunak is, to put it simply, loaded. During the pandemic we chuckled at his £180 smart mug which kept his tea warm, we mocked him gently for his confessions-of-a-Peloton addict-style foibles. Many were a little taken aback when his wife, Akshata Murthy, headed to Loulou’s in Mayfair on the night after lockdown ended – [...]
As tourism returns, we say: ‘Good morning Vietnam!’ March 28, 2022 Like much of the world, Vietnam was on its knees these last few years. Around 18 million foreign tourists visited in 2019 compared to a paltry 3,500 in 2021. But now visitors are flocking back. What’s more, there’s never been a better time to go: some high-end resorts are offering 25 per cent discounts on [...]
Potatoes are off the table with higher gas bills March 24, 2022 Yesterday, after the Chancellor unveiled his spending review, food banks pushed back as grim figures from the Office for Budget Responsibility warned of the biggest fall in household’s disposable incomes since records began. Richard Walker, the Managing Director of Iceland, gave a stark warning. He told the BBC that some food bank users were declining [...]
As inflation pushes hospitality prices up, customers’ patience will also start to wane March 24, 2022 Last week I had the painful, and for many people, familiar experience of trying to contact an airline to redeem evouchers. Mine was a simple request but not one I felt an online chat would resolve. After navigating a tortuous route through a myriad of menus, I was informed that they were too busy to [...]
As it happened: Rishi Sunak’s Spring Budget 2022 March 23, 2022 Live updates and links to all our coverage, reactions and analyses as the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, delivers the government’s Spring Budget for 2022 . Please do get in touch and let us know your opinion via news@cityam.com or @Cityam With the cost of living crisis, rising inflation, war in Ukraine and [...]
In a bid to crack down on Big Tech, we cannot forget the small players and individuals March 23, 2022 A bill poised to erode free speech in both the UK and around the world was put before Parliament last week in the form of the long-awaited Online Safety Bill. The 225-page legislation proposes solutions for a wide range of online abuses, from child sexual exploitation to fraudulent advertising, while promising to hold Big Tech [...]
Six strategies for your retirement income March 22, 2022 What surprises me most about my wife’s catering business is how much food is usually left over. I often ask: ‘Is there a better way to manage food costs?’. Her answer is always the same: ‘Better to have food left over than fall short.’ She has the exceptional ability to estimate how much each person [...]
Just Eat teams up with McDonald’s to drive home delivery efficiencies March 22, 2022 European takeaway giant Just Eat Takeaway.com has entered a "long-term global strategic partnership" with McDonald's as the delivery firm tries to remain profitable in a post-pandemic world.