France plans to block Facebook libra in Europe September 12, 2019 France is reportedly planning to block the development of Facebook’s libra cryptocurrency. AFP reported that France will aim to prevent the social media giant expanding its payment project in Europe. Read more: Facebook libra: Could regulators crush Mark Zukerberg’s dream cryptocurrency? Facebook announced the libra project in June this year, saying it will be a [...]
Reviving the post-study work visa will help the UK attract international talent September 12, 2019 It is hard to think of a more short-sighted and self-destructive policy than Theresa May’s decision in 2012 to close the post-study work visa route for those wanting to live and work in Britain. Boris Johnson is right to bring it back. Britain’s universities are truly world class, attracting the best and brightest from across [...]
Swap your office’s dominance dynamics for cognitive diversity September 12, 2019 “Meetings predict terrible outcomes even more powerfully than smoking predicts cancer.” This is the verdict of Leigh Thompson, a world expert on group dynamics. Thompson became interested in human relationships as a teenager when she witnessed her parents going through a painful divorce. She almost became a marriage guidance counsellor, but settled for academia instead. [...]
The problems caused by superstar CEOs September 12, 2019 Earlier this year, a new chapter unfurled in the sad saga of former automotive industry leader Carlos Ghosn, when Japanese prosecutors arrested the embattled former chairman of Nissan and Renault for the fourth time since November 2018. Ghosn has been under house arrest since April, awaiting trial. He faces charges that he understated his income [...]
Woodford loses £43.5m in fire sale from frozen fund September 11, 2019 Beleaguered stock picker Neil Woodford has lost at least £43.5m selling off stocks from his frozen Equity Income Fund, despite having assured investors that the suspension would limit pressure to offload assets at reduced prices. Read more: Woodford crisis wipes £36m off Kent County Council’s stake in flagship fund Woodford lost money on eight out [...]
Santander accused of circumventing professional PPI claims firms September 11, 2019 Professional claims managers have accused Santander of trying to minimise its PPI payments after the bank started going above their heads, dealing directly with customers. The bank confirmed it was talking to customers, skipping the claims management companies (CMCs) to save time on the process. Read more: Lloyds suspends share buyback as PPI costs rise [...]
Man Group president Jonathan Sorrell to step down September 11, 2019 Man Group president Jonathan Sorrell has stood down, the world’s largest listed hedge fund has announced. The company said in a statement to the stock exchange on Wednesday morning that Sorrell would be leaving to take up a role outside the FTSE250 firm. Read more: Hedge funds row back on controversial fee structure He will [...]
What a con: Four common tactics used to scam pension savers September 11, 2019 The impact of pension fraud can be devastating, with victims losing an average of £82,000 last year. Even those of us who are savvy with our money can end up falling victim to fraud. In fact, it is estimated that five million pension savers in the UK are at risk, with 42 per cent of [...]
DEBATE: Has John Bercow done more harm than good as House of Commons speaker? September 11, 2019 Has John Bercow done more harm than good as House of Commons speaker? Lauren McEvatt, managing director at Morpeth Consulting, says YES. John Bercow, with his regular abuses of convention and obvious partisanship, has presided over a gross politicisation of the formerly independent nature of the speaker of the House of Commons. A role which [...]
