Ogilvie blast SFT’s public sector project ‘failure’
CONSTRUCTION firm Ogilvie Group has accused the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) of failing to deliver “much-needed” public sector projects such as schools and hospitals.The Stirling-based company, which...
View ArticleTelegraph axes 80 jobs amid advertising revenue fall
THE Telegraph newspaper group is cutting 80 jobs as part of a plan to merge its daily and Sunday publications and put a greater focus on its website to counter declining advertising revenues.At the...
View ArticleComment: Lending scheme falters over banks’ dilemma
WHAT goes around comes around, certainly with regard to lending to small businesses. Apparently the Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS), launched with fanfare by the Bank of England and Treasury last...
View ArticleTriple-dip fears after bad month for manufacturers
A DIRE month for Britain’s manufacturers has fanned fears of a triple-dip recession and piled further pressure on the pound.The latest gloomy data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) comes...
View ArticleSFO probes Hewlett-Packard fraud claims
THE Serious Fraud Office is investigating computer giant Hewlett-Packard’s (HP) claim that it was duped when it bought British software maker Autonomy for $10 billion (£6.7bn) in 2011. The US giant...
View ArticlePunch shares slide after bad weather sales hit
SHARES in Punch Taverns slid today after Britain’s second biggest pubs company disclosed that trading in its second trading quarter had been hit by the bad weather in January.Punch Taverns, which has...
View ArticleRoss Noble Elephant Man joke no laughing matter
A TELEVISED impersonation of the hideously disfigured Victorian John Merrick, by comedian Ross Noble, has been ruled to be “at the margins of acceptability” by the BBC Trust.The comic was making a...
View ArticleMarket edges ahead on QE prospects
London’s benchmark share index set fresh five-year highs last night, with miners boosted by good results from Antofagasta and the market underpinned by low volatility and hopes for more fiscal...
View ArticleFarms: Final warm-up for key debate on next CAP
BACK in January, members of the European Parliament agricultural committee may have whittled their 7,000 plus amendments to the Commissioner’s proposals to amend the common agricultural policy (CAP)...
View Article‘Land ownership is at the root of economic woes’
THE vested interests of land ownership, coupled with the escalating price of land, is at the root of the economic ills of the UK, land ownership reform campaigner Andy Wightman claimed...
View ArticleG4S profits gain despite Olympics security fiasco
Security group G4S has reported a 6 per cent increase in profits for 2012, a year that saw it hauled over the coals for failing to provide enough staff for the London Olympics. The firm posted...
View ArticleThomas Cook targets £350m profit boost by 2015
Travel group Thomas Cook has unveiled plans to increase its profits by £350 million over the coming years by cutting costs, focusing on web sales and closing high street stores.The firm said last week...
View ArticleStore closures push French Connection into the red
Fashion retailer French Connection, which is closing loss-making stores in a bid to revive its fortunes, has fallen into the red following a drop in sales.The group said revenues in the year to 31...
View ArticlePrudential hikes dividend following jump in profits
Insurance group Prudential has proposed a 15.9 per cent increase in its total dividend after unveiling a 54 per cent leap in annual profits.The firm said shareholders are in line for a final dividend...
View ArticleScottish Business Briefing - Wednesday 13 March, 2013
WELCOME to scotsman.com’s Scottish Business Briefing. Every morning we bring you a comprehensive round-up of all news affecting business in Scotland today. BANKINGRBS cuts Direct Line stake in £500m...
View ArticleLloyds attacked after announcing 550 job cuts
LLOYDS Banking Group came under attack today after announcing a further 550 job cuts.Unite said the cuts were on top of 1,340 job losses announced in January.The union said that while the bank...
View ArticleTraders pause to pocket rally profits
A BOUT of profit taking sent the FTSE 100 Index back below the 6,500 barrier yesterday, while Wall Street’s flagship Dow Jones finished at a new record closing high last nigh.London’s top tier closed...
View ArticleGiraffe in Tesco stores after restaurant deal
GROCERY giant Tesco has unveiled plans to turn its supermarkets into “retail destinations” after snapping up a family-friendly restaurant brand that will feature in some of its largest stores.Britain’s...
View ArticleLongworth: UK government should make ‘bold’ decisions
Confidence can return to UK industry with the help of growth being stimulated by measures such as a massive infrastructure programme, according to the head of the British Chambers of Commerce...
View ArticleRBS sells £500m Direct Line stake
ROYAL Bank of Scotland surrendered control of Direct Line yesterday after completing the sale of £500 million worth of shares in the insurer.The bank – which was forced by the European Commission to...
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