EU referendum, slowdown in China, volatility in global markets and turmoil in the Middle East to rock UK growth in 2016 – BDO report February 8, 2016 Global economic fears and uncertainty over the EU referendum have pushed business confidence to a three-year low. The economic slowdown in China, volatility in global markets and turmoil in the Middle East are all starting to take their toll on the previously resilient UK economy, accountancy firm BDO has warned this morning. The impending EU [...]
Consulting giants, including PwC, Accenture and IBM, club together to figure out why so many women are fleeing the profession and not returning February 8, 2016 Some of the biggest names in consulting have today joined together to figure out how they can prevent high-flying women from quitting their profession. The firms – PwC, Accenture, IBM, KPMG and PA Consulting – are collaborating with the Management Consultancies Association (MCA) and She’s Back to identify why experienced women are leaving the workplace and not [...]
Infrastructure to lift construction sector but risks are intensifying February 8, 2016 The UK's construction sector is forecast to have a strong year, but experts are warning of risks to the rosy outlook. The Construction Products Association (CPA) said today it expects construction output to climb 3.6 per cent this year and 4.1 per cent next year. Private house building is projected to rise five per cent in [...]
Manufacturing trade body EEF warns Britain risks falling behind on internet capability February 8, 2016 Britain's digital infrastructure will hold the country back during the fourth industrial revolution, a manufacturing trade body has warned today. Internet access is as essential as electricity and water, according to 91 per cent of companies surveyed. The survey from EEF also found that connection costs had gone up for half of manufacturers in the last [...]
EU referendum: Tory MP Michael Fabricant discusses leaving the EU, in-fighting and the way forward for the splintered Brexit groups February 8, 2016 “The UK may be 25 miles off the coast of Calais, but culturally it’s 25 miles off the coast of Boston, Massachusetts, or Brisbane, Australia,” says Michael Fabricant, MP for Lichfield and former Conservative Party vice-chairman. Fabricant, who readers may know from his wryly written tweets that get him into occasional trouble, is a man [...]
UK weather: Rising levels of surface water flooding put success of Flood Re insurance scheme at risk, warn academics February 8, 2016 The success of a reinsurance scheme designed to cut insurance costs for households with a high risk of flooding is in jeopardy thanks to rising levels of surface water flooding, academics have warned. According to a paper published today by Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the ESRC Centre for Climate Change [...]
Stamp duty land tax changes, which were announced in last November’s Autumn Statement, will amount to a stealth Cupid tax, warn tax experts February 7, 2016 Valentine's Day is on the horizon but recent tax regime changes mean that it might not feel like love is in the air for those couples planning on purchasing property after 31 March. The Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT) has warned that couples could unwittingly find themselves subject to government's new three per cent surplus charge on stamp [...]
China’s foreign exchange reserves hit lowest level since 2011 February 7, 2016 China’s foreign exchange reserves tumbled in January, according to figures released today. The country’s holding of US dollars fell by $99.5bn (£68.6bn) in January to $3.23 trillion, the lowest it's been since 2011, the data from the Chinese State Administration of Foreign Exchange shows. The Chinese authorities are attempting to maintain a value of the [...]
Deadline day for firms to send in forms identifying their senior staff under grandfathering rules for the Senior Managers Regime is tomorrow February 7, 2016 The Senior Managers Regime is taking one step closer to implementation, as many firms have until tomorrow to submit paperwork listing their senior staff members. Firms affected by the Senior Managers Regime, which include banks, building societies and certain investment firms, must file grandfathering notifications for staff members who have either already been approved or whose [...]
Six cities where house prices are more unreasonable than London February 7, 2016 Paris, Stockholm and Berlin are among the six capital cities where citizens consider property is less reasonably priced than London, despite it previously been labelled the most overvalued market in the world. Copenhagen, Helsinki and Amsterdam also scored under 10 per cent in a major survey when residents were asked if they agreed with the statement, it's [...]