Don’t blame businesses for hiring foreign staff. Improve British skills October 6, 2016 Home secretary Amber Rudd provoked outrage this week for suggesting that companies should list the number of foreign workers they employ. For many in the business community, it hit a raw nerve at a sensitive time. EU nationals that call the UK home and have set up fast-growth businesses, or joined talented global teams, are already [...]
Cesarewitch betting tips: Starchitect can help punters build some profit at Newmarket October 6, 2016 Newmarket stages the equine equivalent of the National Lottery on Saturday when a field of 34 line up for the Cesarewitch (4.10pm). With a 50/1 winner 12 months ago, not to mention 66/1 winners in two of the three previous years, it’s a race where the hat pin may prove more useful than the form [...]
Brits stick together as British Airways says it will start selling Marks and Spencer food on board September 30, 2016 There was good news and bad news for British Airways (BA) passengers today after the airline announced that it will serving up Marks and Spencer food on its short-haul flights from next year, but customers are going to have to pay for it. Following the lead of low-cost airlines, complimentary snacks will be a thing of the [...]
A tale of two retail sectors: Shares in fashion retailers fall as supermarkets jump September 15, 2016 It was the best of times, it was the worst of times in the retail sector today, as shares in retailers led both the risers and the fallers in the FTSE 100. Firmly in the spring of hope was the supermarket sector, where Morrisons led the risers, with shares jumping 7.13 per cent to 207.4p in [...]
Rosé wine: Move over red, white and sparkling – this summer belonged to pink booze September 13, 2016 Sparkling wine has been stealing the show in the UK's drinks scene as the new high-flier, but rosé wine has been the true winner of this summer's heatwave as sales of the pink stuff doubled. Marks and Spencer has reported a 100 per cent increase in its sales of English-produced rosé offerings, with its Chapel Down [...]
Charity Day lures celebs including Lindsay Lohan, Davina McCall, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Joanna Lumley to BGC Partners’ trading floor September 12, 2016 BGC Partners’ trading floor was overrun by comedians, Olympians, film stars and London’s mayor yesterday at the brokerage’s annual charity fundraising day. The gaggle of celebs roaming BGC’s labyrinth of computer screens and phone speakers to clinch the cash for this year’s charities included actor Tom Hardy, garden-bridge pusher Joanna Lumley, supermodel Jodie Kidd, TV [...]
Marks & Spencer loses another senior executive as Laura Wade-Gery steps down September 12, 2016 Marks & Spencer has confirmed the woman who oversaw the launch of its website is stepping down. In a statement today the retailer said Laura Wade-Gery, its executive director of multi-channel, will not return from maternity leave. Wade-Gery, who oversaw the rocky launch of M&S' website last year, will step down from the board immediately, and [...]
These are the FTSE 100 social media winners and losers September 12, 2016 FTSE 100 firms are finally getting the hang of social media and even jumping on the Snapchat bandwagon to build their profile, new research reveals. Seven firms in the blue-chip index now have official accounts on the fledgling messaging service with a further six using the platform in some form. Read more: Google, Facebook and Twitter blasted over [...]
M&S workers seek unionisation after pay changes and job cuts September 6, 2016 The shopworker's union Usdaw has said it is willing to go through the courts to become recognised as the official union of Marks and Spencer's employees. M&S recently announced it would be cutting premium pay for workers on Sundays and bank holidays, and reducing pension contributions. Usdaw told City A.M. it is happy to "go down the statute route" for official recognition [...]
Marks & Spencer confirms cull of its head office staff September 5, 2016 Marks and Spencer has confirmed it will cut 525 jobs in its head office to ensure the business can "work more simply and efficiently". The business will be entering a consultation with employees over the changes which will also result in the number of staff based in London decreasing by around 400, with IT and logistics jobs [...]