Autumn Statement 2014: George Osborne’s wizard wheezes don’t mask his total failure to eliminate the deficit December 3, 2014 I said that I would eliminate the budget deficit in this Parliament. I have failed to do so. It’s actually going to take me about 10 years rather than five. So, I’d be most grateful if you could re-elect me next May to let me finish the job at the snail’s pace I have now [...]
Stress Awareness Day 2014: How to cope with workplace pressure November 4, 2014 On Stress Awareness Day, Brian Claridge looks at how high-powered businesspeople manage the strain. It’s often painted as a purely personal issue, but research released today by Friends Life finds that stress could be costing UK companies £690m a day. The report, coinciding with National Stress Awareness Day, found that 23 per cent of [...]
This anti-immigration arms race exemplifies everything that’s wrong with politicians October 13, 2014 "Race relations/immigration” is now ranked by voters as the most important issue facing Britain, according to Ipsos MORI. On 39 per cent, it’s above the economy and the NHS – areas the Conservatives and Labour want at the centre of their 2015 campaigns. This concern is not new. Even in the 1990s, when net migration [...]
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 [...]
Scottish independence: Consumer confidence drops as referendum nears September 17, 2014 The possibility of Scottish independence has lowered confidence in the nation's economy among people living north of the border, new data suggests. A recent poll shows that 29 per cent of Scots believe their economy will worsen over the next six months – up from 16 per cent a month previously. That compares with [...]
MPs to grill Bank’s Mark Carney on Osborne interest rate pact claim August 18, 2014 Bank of England governor Mark Carney will be quizzed by MPs next month over whether he has faced any political pressure to keep interest rates at their historic low. Carney and chancellor George Osborne have been hit by suggestions this week that they struck a deal to keep rates low until after the election. Mark [...]
Dubai plans world’s biggest shopping centre July 7, 2014 Not content with laying claim to the world's tallest building and largest ferris wheel, Dubai says it will construct the biggest shopping mall on earth. The shopping-loving Arab emirate is already home to a slew of impressive retail centres, which feature indoor ski slopes, ice-skating rinks and a 155m year-old dinosaur skeleton among their main attractions, [...]
Barclays’ Antony Jenkins under fire as share price plunges 6.52 per cent June 26, 2014 Barclays shares dived yesterday as shareholders panicked that the lender could face another huge legal bill over claims it lied to investors using its dark pool trading facilities. It is the latest in a series of scandals hitting the bank, and these claims are particularly damaging as the alleged wrongdoing occurred on the [...]
Bottom Line: Not much can really change in two years May 19, 2014 IF INVESTORS were in any doubt that gaming is big business, they only need to scan rumour boards yesterday for their fear to be allayed. As Game announced its return to market after just two years, the tech world was rife with talk that Google is preparing a $1bn bid for Twitch – an online gaming community [...]
Carphone and Dixons dial up £3.8bn merger May 15, 2014 DIXONS Retail and Carphone Warehouse shares slid into the red yesterday after the high street giants’ plans for a £3.8bn merger was given a mixed reception. The new group, which will be named Dixons Carphone, aims to exploit the ever-growing presence of smartphones in people’s lives and the so-called internet of things – where household [...]