Businesses are becoming better corporate citizens, so why is public perception lagging behind? June 28, 2019 When I left politics for business two decades ago, it was taken for granted that those who ran the country would be held more accountable than those who ran our companies. Today, in many cases, levels of scrutiny on business now seem more intense. Leave aside the fact that conduct and persistent policy failures which [...]
Top UK brands at risk as adverts still appear next to harmful material June 27, 2019 Campaigns by two-thirds of the UK’s top 100 advertisers are appearing in places considered to be harmful for the brand’s reputation, a new report has revealed. A study published by media consultancy firm Ebiquity revealed 65 per cent of the UK’s top advertisers had been exposed to potentially non-brand safe environments in the first quarter [...]
A bold pro-business Prime Minister should let Liz Truss shake things up June 27, 2019 There’s another month to go until we have a new Prime Minister, but pro-market Conservatives can already start breathing a sigh of relief. For a start, both contenders for the top job have pledged to cut tax. Jeremy Hunt has promised to cut the rate of Corporation Tax from 19 per cent to 12.5 per [...]
The FCA must stop making excuses and act to avoid another GRG scandal June 27, 2019 It is six years since the damning accusations came to light that the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) had been decimating small businesses for its own benefit. It was in fact a businessman, an adviser at the time to Vince Cable as business secretary in the coalition government, who uncovered and pulled together the dossier [...]
Istanbul has rekindled Turkey’s fight against religious autocracy June 26, 2019 Istanbul is one of the most famous cities in the world, on account of a storied history encompassing myriad great events. As Byzantium, it was first the fortress of the eastern Roman Empire and then the bastion of Orthodox Christianity. After its fall to the Turks in 1453, the newly-minted Constantinople became the capital of [...]
Apple says Spotify exaggerated user fee claims June 25, 2019 Apple has responded to a complaint by Spotify to the EU commission, stating it only collects a fee on less than one per cent of the music streaming platform’s userbase. Apple said in a filing Spotify pays a 15 per cent fee on about 680,000 of its 100m premium customers. It follows a complaint by [...]
Kevin Hollinrake accuses Treasury officials of ‘coordinated skullduggery’ over conflict-of-interest claims June 24, 2019 A prominent Tory MP involved in efforts to help small businesses caught in lending disputes has accused Treasury officials of undertaking a campaign of “coordinated skullduggery” to discredit him. Kevin Hollinrake, co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Fair Business Banking, said there had been a “deliberate and coordinated attempt” to undermine him over [...]
‘No evidence’ of Russian interference in Brexit vote, says Facebook exec Nick Clegg June 24, 2019 Facebook’s vice-president Sir Nick Clegg has insisted there was “absolutely no evidence” Russia used the social media platform to influence the Brexit referendum. The former deputy prime minister said his firm had carried out analyses on its data and found no “significant attempt” by outside forces to influence the vote, arguing British politics had been [...]
Martin Sorrell labels tech firms ‘frenemies’ as he lays out vision for S4 Capital expansion June 24, 2019 Sir Martin Sorrell chats to James Warrington in Cannes about S4 Capital, but can’t resist a dig at WPP SIR MARTIN is a busy man. So busy, in fact, that the only time he can carve out for an interview is 20 minutes in the back of his car, as his driver whisks him between [...]
DEBATE: Is the focus on modern methods of construction to increase housebuilding misplaced? June 24, 2019 Is the focus on modern methods of construction to increase housebuilding misplaced? Chris Stanley, housing manager at Concrete Block Association, says YES. The current media excitement around modern methods of construction, particularly modular, is largely a result of favourable public funding schemes. To solve the housing crisis, the government needs a far more considered, holistic [...]