That video call could have been an email: After four years, are Brits sick of WFH? December 23, 2024 There is a brilliant novelty about working from home. Household amenities are always within reach, transport fares are reduced to the difficulty of moving from your bed to the desk, and no one steals your food from the fridge. But, after more than four years, has it become a nuisance? Around 40 per cent of [...]
Government borrowing plummets thanks to rising tax take December 20, 2024 Government borrowing dropped to £11.4bn in November, £3.4bn lower than last year, as higher tax receipts and lower debt interest gave the government a much needed boost. With the lowest November borrowing in three years, the current budget deficit, or amount of borrowing to fund day-to-day public sector activities, also dropped by more than a [...]
Bleak midwinter for the economy? It could be worse… December 19, 2024 The political and economy outlook for the UK may seem gloomy, but spare a thought for our European counterparts, says Tim Sarson It’s the last working week of 2024 for many of us. I’ll be switching off the laptop on Friday afternoon and packing up for what I hope is a restful Christmas break, give [...]
The intersection between the capital markets and the insurance industry December 17, 2024 Insurance is part of the DNA of global capitalism, but due to concerns around complexity and liquidity, the market has historically struggled to attract the capital needed for growth. Aon’s Capital Advisory division works with insurance clients to enhance return on capital by matching risk with capital to make better business decisions. It’s been built [...]
UK companies cut jobs at fastest rate in nearly 4 years December 16, 2024 The private sector cut jobs at the fastest rate for nearly 4 years in December as firms respond to new tax rules announced in the Budget. The latest S&P Global Flash UK Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) found that while the headline figure for business confidence was unchanged from November, thanks to a marginal increase in [...]
Growth is easier to destroy than to build December 16, 2024 Missions, milestones, foundations and pledges; Keir Starmer has unveiled them all since winning the election in July, but no amount of visionary rhetoric can compel an economy to grow. Since Labour’s election victory the British economy has whimpered to a halt. GDP flatlined in July and achieved a barely perceptible nudge up in August before contracting [...]
Labour’s business backers – where are they now? December 10, 2024 Labour won the public backing of over 120 business chiefs in a letter before the election – but the enthusiasm of those executives appears to have dimmed since then. City AM tried to track them down. It was a letter that seemed to signal a tectonic shift in British politics when it landed in newspapers [...]
Job vacancies collapse as Budget tax raid puts firms off hiring, survey shows December 9, 2024 The latest report on jobs from KPMG and the REC showed an "accelerated decline" in the number of people placed in permanent roles by recruiters.
Revolut adds ex-Lord Mayor and KPMG veteran to UK board ahead of bank launch December 6, 2024 Revolut has appointed a former Lord Mayor of London and Big Four veteran to its UK board as the fintech giant prepares to launch as a fully-fledged bank in its home market. The London-based banking company added Fiona Fry and Peter Estlin as non-executive directors while it works through the mobilisation period for its UK [...]
Bank of London shakes up UK board in investor-led recovery plan December 5, 2024 The Bank of London has appointed four new directors to its UK bank board and replaced its chair as the troubled fintech ‘unicorn’ looks to recover from a string of setbacks in recent months. The lossmaking start-up, which has faced heavy scrutiny over its governance and finances, said on Thursday that Metro Bank director Catherine [...]