Give us a say on workers’ rights, plead businesses

Give us a say on workers’ rights, plead businesses

Ministers must work closely with business to avoid “spooking” employers as they carry the biggest overhaul of workers’ rights in decades, a leading recruitment trade body has said. Neil Carberry, chief executive of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC), said: “The government is right to make economic growth its focus. Only growth can turn employers’…

Baillie Gifford boss steps down after ‘artwashing’ row

Baillie Gifford boss steps down after ‘artwashing’ row

The long-serving boss of Baillie Gifford, the asset manager recently embroiled in an “artwashing” row over its sponsorship of literary festivals, is stepping down after more than three decades. Andrew Telfer, 57, one of three managing partners, will retire in March next year after almost 33 years at the Edinburgh-based business, including 13 years as…

What does the fall in wages growth mean for interest rates?

What does the fall in wages growth mean for interest rates?

The release of Britain’s latest jobs and unemployment figures passed off without triggering a widespread reaction in financial markets, something of a relief after the equivalent data in the United States sparked the worst rout in global stocks in two years earlier this month. The Office for National Statistics said that the jobless rate in…

Connected cars take information superhighway to next level

Connected cars take information superhighway to next level

Wimbledon is not merely a showcase for top-flight tennis. Last year Jaguar, the carmaker, and Vodafone, the telecoms group, used the tournament to highlight what connected cars are capable of. Dignitaries and players ferried around Wimbledon in a Jaguar I-Pace had access to a wi-fi service worthy of a VIP, too. A Vodafone “smart hub”…

Failure to back AstraZeneca plant would be ‘tragic’

Failure to back AstraZeneca plant would be ‘tragic’

A recently departed senior executive at AstraZeneca and former right-hand man to Sir Pascal Soriot has said it would be “tragic” if the government did not follow through on a commitment to support a planned £450 million investment in a vaccine manufacturing facility in northwest England. A report this week suggested that the Treasury had…