Why the housing crisis is fast becoming a threat to London’s businesses September 25, 2014 LONDON is a magnet for talent – there is little doubting that. But it is also a city with an underlying weakness that should be recognised as a danger to the capital’s competitiveness. That Achilles’ heel is London’s chronic housing shortage, an issue that is all too rarely framed in terms of business and competitiveness. [...]
Sir Mike Rake will no longer take the wheel as RAC chairman after it abandoned IPO plans September 25, 2014 There is a major turnaround at the RAC as City heavyweight and CBI president Sir Mike Rake will no longer take up his position as chairman of the roadside recovery firm, following investment in RAC today from Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC. RAC had announced at the start of September it would appoint Rake [...]
Struggling to get a mortgage? Try to nab a new job at KPMG September 24, 2014 In the week that we found out (or merely had it confirmed) that London is the most expensive city to relocate staff to, KPMG has stepped in to save the day – for its employees in any case. The City firm announced yesterday it would be helping its staff on to the property ladder with [...]
Could Labour be set to make a big announcement on low pay at its party conference? September 18, 2014 Tackling low pay has been a central policy theme for Labour while in opposition, and it’s not hard to see why. While the economy is growing, wages aren’t rising in real-terms and people don’t feel better off. Ed Miliband knows this and has sought to focus his party’s strategy on the cost of living crisis [...]
Legal & General steps things up after John Pollock’s retirement news September 17, 2014 Legal & General may well be losing the “Jimmy Page” of insurance (their words not ours) when John Pollock retires next year, but it has followed this announcement with news it has signed up to StepJockey. It’s an initiative which labels stairs to inform people how many calories they’ve burned by climbing them. “We strive [...]
Banks start to regain public’s confidence September 10, 2014 BANK OF THE YEAR This year may be remembered as the year the banking sector started to fight back against the regulators after years in the doldrums post the financial crisis. Profitability is up, lenders are at last overcoming tough new regulatory hurdles and a stable future could be just around the corner. And the [...]
City Moves for 11 September 2014 | Who’s switching jobs September 10, 2014 Falcon Group The alternative finance firm has appointed two to its risk management team. Mark Wyatt (pictured) joins as chief risk officer. He was director of risk, information and claims at Euler Hermes. Tim Esden joins as portfolio manager from Coface, where he was head of claims and debt collection. PwC The professional services firm has [...]
Treasury calls on EU to stop red tape torrent September 8, 2014 Brussels must stop churning out countless financial regulations, and instead deal with the unintended consequences of the tide of red tape it has pumped out since the crash, a top Treasury official said yesterday. “We cannot allow this incredible pace and volume of standards reform to become the new normal,” said the Treasury’s financial services [...]
Acquisitions and a rise in diversity mark year September 8, 2014 ACCOUNTANCY FIRM of the year IT’S been a tough year for many accountancy firms – making it a very tough decision for our judges to make. However, it has also been a year of opportunity, as the achievements of our nominees prove. These companies have forged ahead, seeking new markets – especially in London’s growing [...]
Retailers cheer as sales recover September 8, 2014 RETAIL sales picked up again in August, with the high street enjoying its strongest growth since January this year. Like-for-like sales rose by 1.3 per cent in August compared with same time last year and a 0.3 per cent dip in July, according to the latest data from KPMG and the British Retail Consortium (BRC). [...]