Shares in bookies crash as Osborne hikes taxes on betting machines March 19, 2014 Some of Britain's leading bookmakers are taking a beating after George Osborne announced that the tax on fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) would be raised from 20 per cent to 25 per cent. Shares in Ladbrokes have crashed by 12 per cent while William has suffered a decline of six per cent. Investec specialist bank [...]
Brand Index: Economic confidence set to determine the 2015 election March 18, 2014 SINCE YouGov started tracking consumer confidence in 2009, the number of people expecting their household financial situation to get worse has always far outstripped the upbeat group of Britons who expected things to get better. This split reached its worst in 2011 when for a few months more than half, or 55 per cent, of [...]
Meet captain Penn, boss of the Baltic Exchange March 10, 2014 With the City sailing through choppy waters, the Baltic Exchange’s boss tells Julian Harris how the shipping industry can lead the way LIBOR-FIDDLING, insider trading, insurance mis-selling, bailout-grabbing… it hasn’t been the best of times for the City’s reputation, of late. Meanwhile, throughout the world, packs of regulators and politicians continue to circle around the [...]
Meet captain Penn, boss of the Baltic Exchange March 10, 2014 With the City sailing through choppy waters, the Baltic Exchange’s boss tells Julian Harris how the shipping industry can lead the way LIBOR-FIDDLING, insider trading, insurance mis-selling, bailout-grabbing… it hasn’t been the best of times for the City’s reputation, of late. Meanwhile, throughout the world, packs of regulators and politicians continue to circle around the [...]
Fancy a brew? Annabel Palmer talks craft beer with Draft House’s Charlie McVeigh March 10, 2014 Draft House founder Charlie McVeigh talks about the perils of the hospitality industry, and how he’s taking advantage of Britain’s real ale renaissance A CRAFT beer revolution has taken hold in Britain. Consumption of independently-brewed beer rose by 22.3m pints to 415m pints in 2012, according to the Society of Independent Brewers. And figures suggest [...]
Inside Track: Essar deal could hurt JP Morgan February 26, 2014 IN the ultra-polite language of the City, even the biggest failures among departing bosses often leave with good wishes and gratitude for their contribution ringing in their ears. So when blue-chip fund managers dispense with pleasantries and bandy words such as “cynical” around, it’s clear that somebody is seriously unhappy. Having bought Essar Energy shares [...]
Tailoring your EMBA: How the right focus can boost your career February 26, 2014 But choosing the right electives is just one half of ensuring you get the most out of your executive education REGARDLESS of why you may choose to study an executive MBA (EMBA), the experience can make a huge difference to ambitious professionals wanting to progress past middle management. But moving up the career ladder via [...]
How Osborne could resurrect our lost savings culture February 26, 2014 CAST your mind back to 1978. The mighty Boney M had two number one hits, I was sheepishly starting big school in Cambridge, and Britain had a household savings rate of 12 per cent – more than double the current level. As a schoolboy, even I was bitten by the savings bug sweeping the land. [...]
Tory policy is becoming a mess of contradictions February 24, 2014 AS RECOVERY becomes entrenched, it is easy to forget the sense of urgency of those heady days in May 2010, when the Tory-Lib Dem coalition agreement was thrashed out. The backdrop of the Greek implosion brought broad consensus on the need for a credible medium-term plan to repair the public finances. The Conservatives who, right [...]
Why the housing crisis is clobbering London businesses February 24, 2014 THE HOUSING crisis is the biggest challenge facing London. For the first time ever, it is now Londoners’ top concern. For low and middle income Londoners, home ownership is increasingly out of reach, rents consume an ever increasing percentage of their income, and homelessness is rising. But the crisis is also seriously damaging the competitiveness [...]