Growth plan: Sadiq Khan wants to boost London economy by £100bn February 27, 2025 Sir Sadiq Khan unveiled his plan to “turbocharge” London’s economy, claiming it could boost the capital’s coffers by £107bn by 2035. The mayor unveiled what he’s called the London Growth Plan at Imperial College London’s campus, in a speech to council leaders, businesses and media. Sir Sadiq’s plan for the capital aims to put an [...]
What makes a great corporate mascot? February 27, 2025 As Duolingo retires then resurrects its owl, it’s clear that mascots are serious business, says Charlie Skinner First Duolingo retired its owl, then it brought it back from the dead. Publicity stunt? Well yes. And arguably quite an effective one. What’s for certain, though, is that brand mascots mean serious business. Used for millennia by [...]
Aldi to cut up to 350 jobs at UK headquarters February 27, 2025 Discount grocer Aldi is set to cut up to 350 roles at its UK headquarters in Atherstone, near Birmingham, as cost pressures bite. The changes will affect some buying department positions, including non-food, finance and some back-office functions, according to reports. Aldi joins Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s in cutting jobs in the wake of October’s [...]
Aviva beats profit expectations amidst Direct Line takeover February 27, 2025 Aviva Plc smashed expectations in its annual profit results amidst its landmark takeover of fellow insurer Direct Line. The FTSE 100 giant posted a 20 per cent increase in operating profit to £1.77bn in 2024. The target surpassed Bloomberg analyst expectations of £1.71bn. Shares in Aviva have returned 11 per cent so far this year, [...]
Hiscox: Profit hits record at Lloyd’s of London insurer February 27, 2025 Lloyd’s of London insurer Hiscox has reported a record profit for the year ended 31 December 2024, with pre-tax earnings reaching $685.4m (£541.5m), a 9.5 per cent increase from the previous year. The insurance group’s net insurance contract written premiums rose to $3.7bn (£2.9bn) in 2023, up from $3.6bn (£2.8bn) in 2023. Insurance contract written [...]
Private enterprise is feeling positive about growth February 27, 2025 Despite what’s looking to be a tough year ahead, businesses are confident about their growth prospects in the next 12 months, says Euan West Everyone in the business world is talking about growth in 2025, but the big question on everyone’s lips is whether we will achieve it. Whether being used in a positive or [...]
Question the hype: AI still faces huge barriers February 27, 2025 AI models have developed at a pace that was unimaginable just two years ago, but there are three big barriers to further progress, says Lewis Z Liu As the current revolution in artificial intelligence accelerates, it is more important than ever for society to engage in a well-informed debate about this technology. Through this column, [...]
A sandwich revolution and the City of London February 26, 2025 The humble sandwich is having a revolution in London, but Carys Sharkey takes a tour of the City to see if bigger is always better In the City, queues spill out of sandwich shop doors as the rigmarole of work is punctured by bread and spread. But the sandwich is no longer a humble thing. [...]
Is the UK economy on the mend following Budget fallout? February 26, 2025 The economy is only slightly larger than it was at the time that Labour took office, while GDP per head actually fell in the second half of last year.
Workers’ rights? Labour’s employment bill gives workers a worse deal February 26, 2025 Punishing employers doesn't help workers. Left as it is, Labour's new employment bill will only damage the labour market, writes James Reed.