Business and Economics

Business preparedness over Brexit was ranked almost unanimously red by the British Chambers of Commerce in their latest assessment. The independent business network revealed their RAG ratings today, with just two amber ratings among the 24 otherwise red classifications. RAG ratings are used in project management to flag issues or status reports, based on red, amber and green colours used in a traffic light rating system. The system was used by the BCC to give business answers to practical questions they...

Whether you’re in charge of a small team, a large department or the entire company, it’s a huge responsibility. Your level of skill and performance not only determines your own performance – you’ve got to get the best out of everyone. But unless you’ve had the benefit of classical management training, most days you’ll be learning ‘on the job’ as part of the cut and thrust of business life. In fact, there are remarkably few hard and fast rules of...

Francisco Reynés announced that Gas Natural Fenosa has changed its brand name to Naturgy, in order to become more modern, digital and international. Francisco Reynés expressed that “we are embarking on a new era; one focused on innovation, experience and digitalisation. And we are doing so with a new image which is more modern, digital and global. It is also more environmentally-friendly, and reflects better the new era that we are entering”. During his speech in the General Shareholders’ Meeting...

Millions of workers admit they feel 'trapped' in their office when the sun is shining outdoors, a study has found. As the UK basks in temperatures of almost 30C, three in five office-based employees admit they feel glum at the thought of being stuck indoors during the heatwave. And a third went as far as to say they feel trapped inside, while one in four believe they are wasting their life in front of their computer rather than making the...

A UBS survey of 600 companies that spells out the reality of a Brexit "dividend" for British business could signal disaster if the government doesn't get a grip on the process soon, Professor Brian Cox has said today. The physicist posted results from a recent business survey that showed 35 per cent of companies plan to reduce UK investment post-Brexit. A further 41 per cent plan to move a large amount of capacity out of the UK and 42 per...

The UK motor industry has seen investment half in the first half of this year, according to the latest research from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). During the first six months of this year, the SMMT found that investment has “stalled”, with just £347.3m earmarked for new models, equipment and facilities in the UK, around half the sum in the same period in 2017. The group’s demand for action followed the comments last week from CBI president, Paul Dreschler,...

Safeguarded jobs in the UK have fallen 54 per cent in the past year as the number of UK projects funded by Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) dropped nine per cent, the Department for International Tradrevealed today. Wales is the worst affected region, with projects down 33 per cent, Scotland has seen a 23 per cent fall, Northern Ireland an 18 per cent drop and London a 17 per cent decline. England has seen the number of projects rise slightly by...

CETA amounts to a full frontal attack on Parliamentary democracy and any concept of national sovereignty and makes a complete mockery of the Government’s oft-stated objective of ‘bringing back control’ says Union. GMB, Britain’s general union, has criticised a Government plan to sign away UK sovereignty in a mega trade deal without MPs having their say in Parliament. On June 26, the House of Commons will be asked to ratify the 2,255 page Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between...

The Government should write into law a positive definition of self-employment to provide clarity on who is and who is not genuinely self-employed, IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed) has said. The call follows a decision in the employment tribunal today that a group of Hermes couriers were workers and not self-employed. GMB, the union for lifestyle couriers, scored a landmark legal victory against Hermes after an employment tribunal ruled their couriers are entitled to basic workers’ rights. The...