Calls to reform ‘beyond repair’ lobbying rules after freebie-gate December 5, 2024 The government should reform the UK’s “beyond repair” lobbying rules in a bid to rebuild public trust in politics in the wake of the freebie-gate scandal, ministers have been urged. Professional body the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is campaigning for the government to replace the 2014 Lobbying Act with fresh legislation to close [...]
Will Keir Starmer meet his pledge to improve living standards? December 5, 2024 Before the General Election Labour was proudly proclaiming its commitment to generating economic growth. The first ‘mission’ in the party’s manifesto was to secure the highest sustained growth rate in the G7. After Keir Starmer’s speech earlier today, that mission has been downgraded to an ‘aim’. The new pledge, heavily trailed before the speech, is [...]
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 [...]
New HSBC boss continues leadership reshuffle with more executives to depart December 5, 2024 HSBC has announced the departure of several senior executives in the latest leadership reshuffle overseen by its new chief executive. Georges Elhedery, who succeeded Noel Quinn in September, said the changes will help Europe’s biggest bank “better focus on the businesses where we have clear competitive advantage”. They are part of a sweeping restructuring of [...]
Complex building requirements ‘holding back the City’ as development pipeline stalls December 5, 2024 "A large commercial scheme can take up to 10 years from a decision to obtain vacant possession through to occupation," the CPA said.
Firms set to hike prices, reduce pay and cut staff, Bank of England survey shows December 5, 2024 More than half of firms surveyed by the Bank of England expect to raise prices in response to the Budget.
Big Four UK: 900 redundancies and counting over 2024 December 5, 2024 Over 900 roles were made redundant at the UK Big Four firms over 2024, as the accountancy giants lit up the headlines for a second year running
More big tax rises are ‘inevitable’, ING says December 5, 2024 Rachel Reeves will have to do another “big top-up” of tax rises this parliament, analysts at a major bank have said, despite the Chancellor previously vowing not to. In its outlook for 2025, published today, Dutch lender ING said that Reeves’ controversial October Budget “is likely just the beginning” of several more Budgets characterised by [...]
AI will empower the heroes who serve us December 5, 2024 AI won’t just transform business, it will help public services do more with less and empower the private sector to help solve some of society’s most important challenges, says Shmuel Chafets The GenerativeAI revolution is quickly becoming a driving force for business transformation around the globe. Industries from healthcare to finance are moving to adopt AI [...]
UK takes down multibillion-dollar Russian crypto laundering network December 4, 2024 The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has smashed a multibillion-dollar Russian money laundering scheme which operated in Britain and had ties to the Kremlin. Investigators said on Wednesday that uncovering the Russian-speaking network, run out of London, Moscow and Dubai, marked the NCAs biggest money laundering case for a decade. The investigation was given the [...]