Government debt to stay above financial crisis levels until 2060 says Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) November 23, 2017 Government debt levels will not return to levels seen before the financial crisis until 2060 owing to the UK’s weak growth prospects, according to an influential think tank’s analysis of chancellor Philip Hammond’s Autumn Budget. Poor productivity forecasts unveiled yesterday by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forced the independent Budget watchdog to revise down [...]
Activist investor warns London Stock Exchange against “character assassination” of outgoing boss Xavier Rolet November 21, 2017 Activist investor Sir Chris Hohn today lashed out at the London Stock Exchange (LSE) Group, saying that its board appears to be threatening a “character assassination” of its outgoing chief executive Xavier Rolet. In the latest twist in the LSE soap opera over the alleged forced retirement of Rolet, Hohn called for the Bank of [...]
Focus On Forest Hill: Meet the up-and-coming part of south east London that’s been dubbed the “new nappy valley” November 16, 2017 Like a lot of south east London, Forest Hill likes to keep a low profile – lest anyone find out just how good it is. But as the affordability crisis forces more and more Londoners to search the nooks and crannies of the capital for decent housing, many of them have alighted upon this useful [...]
Belief in people has led architecture firm Darling Associates to success November 15, 2017 Napoleon once said “an army marches on its stomach”. Looking after your army was important for Napoleon, and it’s also a top priority for Chris Darling, founder of Darling Associates, although unlike Napoleon’s army, his team are showing no signs of being underfed; he’s conquered (built an office in) both London and Poland, working on [...]
Theresa May doubles tech talent visas for non-EU foreign workers after Brexit to woo industry November 14, 2017 Theresa May is seeking to reassure the UK’s flourishing tech industry amid ongoing concerns over the impact of Brexit on hiring top talent. The Prime Minister and chancellor Philip Hammond will meet with top entrepreneurs and investors on Wednesday and is promising a flurry of measures to support startups across the country. “It is absolutely [...]
David Davis sets out post-Brexit vision for financial services November 14, 2017 David Davis has committed to protecting talent within financial services after Brexit, as he gives his clearest indication of the government’s thinking for the sector yet. Speaking at UBS this morning, the Brexit secretary set out his vision of the City’s future relationship with the EU after March 2019, based on three key planks: protecting [...]
Global M&A activity to hit cycle high of $3.2 trillion next year November 13, 2017 Worldwide mergers and acquisition activity will hit $3.2 trillion (£2.4 trillion) in 2018, as dealmaking is lifted on a rising global economic tide, according to forecasts to be published today. Investors are feeling “increasingly confident” because of a pick-up in global trade and GDP growth across most of the world, according to analysis by law [...]
The UK’s top law firms are relying on foreign exchange movements to boost their growth figures, according to PwC data November 13, 2017 The UK’s largest global law firms have generated significant amounts of growth in 2017 not through innovation or new business, but through foreign exchange movements, according to a PwC survey. Currency movements resulting from a weaker sterling caused a 4.9 per cent growth in fee income for the UK’s global top 10 firms, PwC’s 2017 [...]
Fears of a nightmare before Christmas for UK retailers as footfall and spending dip November 13, 2017 Retail analysts fear a nightmare before Christmas for British shops as figures published today show weakness ahead of the crucial holiday spending spree. Footfall in UK retailers fell by two per cent year-on-year in October, according to figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard. The decline in the number of shop visits was [...]
A digital Brexit will spur us to rethink the nature of the state November 2, 2017 As Brexit negotiations continue, with the EU playing for time and the UK insisting that talks move onto the future relationship, the uncertainty can be unsettling for even the most experienced of commentators. However, this uncertainty should not stop us thinking about how we can transform the UK to meet future challenges after we leave [...]