The five questions Obama must answer to prove Iraq disasters won’t be repeated September 11, 2014 We, the people, are the boss, and we will get the kind of political leadership, be it good or bad, that we demand and deserve.” – John F Kennedy, Profiles in Courage I HAVE a theory about those of us engaged in politics or political analysis; each of us will have a “Profiles in Courage” [...]
In charts: Half of women don’t have private pensions September 11, 2014 Despite the maximum state pension being only £113.10 a week, just under half the people in the UK don't pay into a private pension scheme. This includes a third of employees – half of the self-employed and 80 per cent of unemployed people are also without a plan. The data was published by the Office [...]
No change in the gender split and none of the most populous six countries gets a vice presidency: Who’s who in Juncker’s commission September 11, 2014 Back in 2012, the European Commission decided it would tackle gender inequality and "break the glass ceiling that continues to bar female talent from top positions in Europe’s biggest companies." The target it set was 40 per cent, despite the fact that at the time the gender split was 19-9 in its own executive – [...]
Scottish independence: Lloyds and RBS to move HQ to London if Scots vote Yes September 10, 2014 Lloyds Banking Group will move its official headquarters out of Scotland if the country votes for independence in next week’s referendum. The banking group which owns Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland largely operate from its London headquarters, however the bank’s registered offices are in Edinburgh. Lloyds confirmed that its contingency plans in the [...]
Acquisitions and a rise in diversity mark year September 8, 2014 ACCOUNTANCY FIRM of the year IT’S been a tough year for many accountancy firms – making it a very tough decision for our judges to make. However, it has also been a year of opportunity, as the achievements of our nominees prove. These companies have forged ahead, seeking new markets – especially in London’s growing [...]
Taxman’s revolution: HMRC is setting the pace in digital government reform September 8, 2014 JUST like innovative private sector organisations, the government, as a provider of services to the nation’s citizens, needs to reflect and respond to the changing demands of those it serves. This is especially relevant to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which must provide effective, efficient and impartial services to its 41m individual and 5m [...]
Why I left the City for a startup – and why you should too September 5, 2014 If there’s a reason I left my finance career to build startups it’s probably this: vomit. It happened one night at 10 or 11pm on the 33rd floor of a gleaming investment bank. It wasn’t unusual that I was there so late – in fact, it was mostly the norm, and I’d been run haggard [...]
SuperGroup gets ready for a hot autumn with “broadest and best range of jackets” September 4, 2014 SuperGroup boss Julian Dunkerton declared yesterday that sales were back in shape after the colder weather and the approach of autumn drove customers back into its stores. The owner of the Superdry fashion brand posted a 3.7 per cent decline in like-for-like sales in the first quarter of the year to 27 July after facing [...]
Co-operative Group is back in profit as it confirms Richard Pennycook as chief executive September 4, 2014 The troubled Co-operative Group has made interim chief executive Richard Pennycook will take on the role full-time. Pennycook was promoted from his position of chief financial officer in March after the surprise resignation of Euan Sutherland. His appointment is likely to give the group's investors – including the hedge fund owners of its banking arm [...]
The nap debate: Is an afternoon kip a good idea? September 3, 2014 The cosy, pro-sleep consensus is showing signs of breaking. The nap is in – there’s no doubting it. Once associated with laziness (consider the saying “caught napping”, or “sleeping on the job”), a growing body of research touting the health benefits of an afternoon kip has seen the practice receive endorsements from Google and [...]