Regus is moving its HQ out of the EU from Luxembourg to Switzerland November 3, 2016 Workplace provider Regus is on the move: it's setting up a new holding company outside the EU. The new firm in Switzerland is called International Workplace Group (IWG), as the firm looks to provide a range of "flexible work solutions" across a range of brands. The company will still use the Regus brand extensively, saying it had [...]
The ballot box pen/pencil argument has reared its ugly head yet again November 2, 2016 Voters could be able to cast their ballot with a pen in future after fears that pencils could lead to fraud. The Electoral Commission received around 200 calls from worried voters about the issue around the time of the EU referendum in June. Many Twitter users posted online that they were using pens because of [...]
Inflation to hit four per cent by end of 2017 November 2, 2016 UK inflation is set to rise from 0.7 per cent to four per cent by the end of next year, thanks to the falling pound. That's what the National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) is forecasting anyway; the think tank says inflation will peak in the latter half of 2017 with a weak sterling [...]
Premium Bonds stand the test of time and celebrate their 60th birthday today November 1, 2016 There aren't many government initiatives that go pretty much untouched for 60 years. But the iconic Premium Bond celebrates its diamond anniversary today and while some elements may have changed, the central idea remains the same. Harold Macmillan launched Premium Bonds in 1956 as part of a government initiative to encourage post-war Britons to save more. The [...]
Jobseekers enjoy lower competition for jobs as number of vacancies recovers slightly November 1, 2016 Advertised vacancies were up 0.8 per cent in September in the latest sign that the job market could be experiencing a slight recovery after a slip over the summer. The total number of advertised jobs was 1,132,844 in September, a slight rise from the 1,123,365 seen in August, new figures from Adzuna showed, concluding that confidence [...]
In pictures: London landmarks shrouded in thick (but Halloween-appropriate) fog October 31, 2016 Londoners awoke to a decidedly spooky scene this morning, after the capital was shrouded in thick fog. Such was the limit to visibility, the Met Office issued a severe weather warning, with road users being advised that travelling in the capital could be dangerous and a “potential to cause danger to life or widespread disruption”. Yesterday [...]
Post Office strike: 3600 walk out today as further action could cause Christmas post chaos October 31, 2016 Thousands of staff at Post Offices across the UK will walk out today as they strike over jobs, pensions and branch closures. The 24-hour strike will affect 118 of the Crown Post Offices, but 99 per cent of the 11,600 Post Offices will remain open. Up to 3,500 members of the Communication Workers Union and Unite [...]
Would likely election winner Hillary Clinton be better for the US economy than her predecessor Barack Obama? October 31, 2016 Molly Kiniry, a consultant at the Legatum Institute, says Yes. On their first day in office, US Presidents are handed the nuclear launch codes, but not a magic wand for the economy. Their commercial role is largely about projecting confidence and building trust. The US economy is inextricably linked to global markets, which are unwilling to [...]
Some of the UK’s largest drugmakers are set to meet ministers over Brexit concerns next month October 30, 2016 Pharmaceuticals bosses are set to meet with ministers next month in a bid to press their case for government support in the ahead of formal talks on quitting the EU. Business secretary Greg Clark said today that the government had reassured automaker Nissan over its negotiating plans for Brexit, and now the drugmakers are to [...]
World Bank appoints Kristalina Georgieva as chief executive October 29, 2016 Kristalina Georgieva has been appointed chief executive of the World Bank. The Bulgarian will effectively replace Sri Mulyani Indrawati, the bank's managing director and chief operating officer, though the title of chief executive is newly created. Indrawati was appointed Indonesian finance minister in July. Georgieva, the former head of EU humanitarian affairs and vice-president of [...]