Harrods security guards vote on strike action January 13, 2020 Harrods security guards have begun to ballot for strike action today following a dispute between union members and management over pay. Members of Unite will decide whether to launch industrial action over a below inflation pay rise and unpaid work. Read more: Man charged with murder for fatal Harrods stabbing The union said members are [...]
Hitachi Rail to slash 250 jobs at County Durham factory January 9, 2020 Hitachi Rail has announced that it will cut 250 jobs from its train factory in County Durham. The Newton Aycliffe plant, which opened in 2015, will make almost a quarter of its staff redundant following a 45-day consultation process with employees. Read more: Hitachi closes in on £200m West Coast franchise deal The Japanese conglomerate [...]
The best (and weirdest) new gadgets from CES 2020 January 9, 2020 As difficult as it is to believe, 2019 has actually ended, slinking out of time’s backdoor like a scolded cat and into the history books under a chapter titled ‘Bloopers and Outtakes’. Of course, the annual changing of the calendar guards heralds many things – reflection, resolution, vegan steak bakes – but it’s also a [...]
Brexit and election uncertainty knock hole in Robert Walters’ UK profit January 9, 2020 Robert Walters’ share price dropped today as it revealed a huge 23 per cent dent to UK profits as a result of a rollercoaster year of political uncertainty in 2019. UK gross profit fell from £26.8m in the fourth quarter of 2018 to £20.7m in the corresponding period last year. Read more: Time too short [...]
Business needs weirdos and wild cards, too January 9, 2020 We need some true wild cards… super-talented weirdos.” That was the verdict of new Number Ten brain-in-chief, and occasional chief of staff, Dominic Cummings last week on who he wished to hire to transform the British state. His argument – in a blog that is best described as forthright – is that there are some [...]
City Hall needs a major shake-up if it is to deliver for London January 9, 2020 The immense challenges facing London are growing by the day, and meeting these requires not just a proactive national government but an effective administration at City Hall. The political power of the capital’s own local government is so often underestimated, but there can be no doubt that the mayor of London has the money and [...]
Central banks running low on ammunition to fight recession, Mark Carney warns January 8, 2020 Central banks may not be able to fight off a sharp economic downturn because their monetary policy arsenals are still depleted following the global financial crisis, outgoing Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has warned. “It’s generally true that there’s much less ammunition for all the major central banks than they previously had and I’m [...]
Gracechurch developer bangs drum for a city with a ‘bright future’ January 7, 2020 As an overseas investor in the City of London, the election of the new Conservative majority government and the message it sends to people like me who are keen to invest in the UK economy is welcome. After three and half years of political turmoil, the UK can finally move forward as a country and [...]
Former Met chief Lord Hogan-Howe joins listed law firm Rosenblatt January 6, 2020 Former London police chief Lord Bernard Hogan-Howe has joined listed law firm Rosenblatt as an adviser, the firm said today. Hogan-Howe was the head of London’s Metropolitan Police as commissioner of police of the metropolis from 2011 until 2017. During his time in office, Hogan-Howe oversaw the London 2012 Olympics and dealt with the aftermath [...]
Andrew Bailey: Three issues the new Bank of England chief will have to tackle January 5, 2020 A safe pair of hands. That’s the cliche about the new Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey, who will take over the position from Mark Carney in March. The City and the British public will be hoping it is correct. Bailey does indeed have about as much experience of the BoE as it is possible [...]