Don’t let national security fears risk closing Britain for business October 26, 2018 The UK government’s National Security and Investment consultation, which closed last week, has an aim that is not just laudable, but essential. The government is seeking to protect vital national assets, whether emerging technology or critical infrastructure, from falling into the wrong hands – from organised crime groups to rogue states to certain major powers. [...]
Instead of obsessing over faulty stats, let’s celebrate the gender progress we’ve made October 26, 2018 More good news for women: according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the gender pay gap in the UK is now at its lowest on record. Coming in at 8.6 per cent for full-time workers in 2018, the average gap in hourly earnings between men and women is down from 9.1 per cent last [...]
Royal Mint freezes plans for a gold digital currency on the blockchain October 25, 2018 The Royal Mint has suspended plans to launch a gold digital token, after the government blocked its attempt to list the asset on a cryptocurrency exchange. Royal Mint Gold (RMG) was first floated as a project to place digital tokens, similar to a gold-backed cryptocurrency, worth up to £1bn on a US-based trading platform run by CME in 2016. [...]
Twice as many Johns and Jonathans sit on UK FTSE 100 boards as black or minority ethnic Brits October 25, 2018 There are twice as many people named John or Jonathan on the board of the UK’s biggest firms than there are British black and minority ethnic (BME) directors, according to new research. The statistics, which show that two per cent of FTSE 100 board members are BME – seven times lower than if representation matched [...]
The remote working revolution is here to stay – more employers should embrace it October 25, 2018 Over a third of UK workers are still not given the option of working remotely, according to research by Totaljobs. But working from home is more than a frivolous perk. It can have a hard-hitting, positive impact on recruitment, an employer’s bottom line, the workplace, and an individual’s output. More than this, working from home [...]
What entrepreneurs want Philip Hammond to announce in the Autumn Budget October 25, 2018 At the Conservative party conference earlier this month, chancellor Philip Hammond announced £20m of investment in business networks “to enable small businesses to learn from each other and from world-leading firms”. He also recognised the need for mentoring and management training for small and medium-sized enterprises, pledging another £11m to help 10,000 businesses by 2025, [...]
Business can use its unique power to help people in crisis October 25, 2018 At last month’s UN General Assembly, world leaders met to take stock of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set in 2015. The ambitious targets – which include reducing poverty, ending hunger, and promoting decent work and sustainable economic growth – are the right ones, but progress towards them is not moving quickly enough. [...]
Blackrock’s European regional headquarters to stay in the UK after Brexit October 24, 2018 Wealth management firm Blackrock is poised to keep its largest European regional operations headquarters in the UK after its exit from the European Union, moving "only very few" jobs to other offices on the continent. The world's largest asset management firm currently manages operations for the Europe, Middle East and African (EMEA) region from its UK [...]
The one-word secret of the greatest investor you’ve never heard of October 24, 2018 | City Talk Type a phrase such as ‘world’s greatest investors’ into Google and Philip Carret’s name is unlikely to crop up. And yet, as the following chart shows, for sheer longevity of success, he is one of just a handful of investors who can be mentioned in the same breath as Warren Buffett. That is why his [...]
What can we expect from a pre-Brexit Annual Budget? October 24, 2018 | City Talk The Budget is the biggest date in the UK’s financial calendar where the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, will deliver the government’s plans for tax and spending for the 2019/2020 financial year, starting in April next year. The Budget is a little unconventional this year as it usually falls on a Wednesday, but all you trick-or-treaters will [...]
