Starbucks’ incoming chief executive is under fire over the company’s offer for him to commute around 1,000 miles (1,600km) by private jet. Social media users were quick to criticise the coffee shop chain over the move in light of its sustainability efforts, including banning plastic straws. Brian Niccol’s job offerContinue Reading
Activity across the UK’s private sector grew to a four-month high in August, propped up by a “robust upturn” in new business, according to indicative data. The S&P Global flash UK composite purchasing managers’ index (PMI) reported a reading of 53.4 in August, up from 52.8 in July. It cameContinue Reading
Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has toasted Brazil’s decision to grant special protected status to Scotch whisky during a visit to a distillery. Brazil’s legal recognition of Scotch whisky’s special status, which happened during the UK’s pre-election period in June, is expected to gives distillers better access to South America’s largestContinue Reading
The FTSE 100 finished a touch higher despite a shaky afternoon as it was boosted by rises from mining firms. It came despite multinationals being impacted by the strong pound, which struck another year-high versus the dollar. In equities, commodity firms were bolstered by higher metal prices, helping the FTSEContinue Reading
A widely-shared online post claimed there are more than four times as many Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK as in the US when counting per capita. It also said that “43 out of the 50 US states combined have fewer Michelin star restaurants than Nottingham”. Evaluation While it is accurateContinue Reading
An unexpected increase in government borrowing means abolishing the two-child benefit cap is unaffordable, a Treasury minister has said. Treasury chief secretary Darren Jones appeared to explicitly rule out abolishing the cap at the next Budget in an interview on Wednesday, while conceding it was not a decision the GovernmentContinue Reading
The Scottish National Investment lost £14.6 million in the last financial year, including £8 million following the collapse of the company set up to administer Scotland’s failed deposit return scheme, latest figures show. However, the state-owned investment bank exceeded its operating costs of £16.1 million for the first time, withContinue Reading
Construction group Costain has unveiled a £10 million share buy-back as it saw half-year profits leap higher and cheered a boost from water contracts. The group reported a 22% rise in underlying pre-tax profits to £19.4 million for the six months to June 30. Reported pre-tax profits doubled to £17Continue Reading
For many UK workers, holidays are no longer a time to fully unwind, with a significant number finding it difficult to disconnect from work. New data from NatWest Premier highlights that two in five Britons continue checking their emails while on holiday, and the trend is particularly pronounced among highContinue Reading
Leaders of private schools are urging the Treasury to delay the introduction of VAT on school fees, warning that a January implementation could trigger a mid-year surge of pupils into the state sector, placing unsustainable pressure on already stretched resources. Independent schools are set to raise fees by up toContinue Reading
