Business
Revolt threat over building society case
THE board of the Scottish Building Society (SBS) is facing a backlash from members after revealing that it has not made provision for a £1 million court case.
Bill Jamieson: UK flirting with liaison dangereuse
‘Something about Christine Lagarde causes men to go weak at the knees’
Beware of risks in bonds boom
Savers who snapped up Tesco corporate bonds may be unaware of the downsides, writes Jeff Salway
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Borders brewers are on a roll
THREE drinks makers from the Borders are teaming up to promote their wares to distributors throughout the UK and will pool resources to tempt pubs to take on a wider choice of products.
End of rates relief ‘won’t save £18m’
THE Scottish Government has rejected calls to change course on its plans to cancel empty property rates relief as experts warn it will fall far short of its expected £18 million annual contribution to Government coffers.
1 commentGame review: Max Payne
This grim and gritty noir sees Max Payne now working as private security for a rich family in Brazil. Burnt out, Max dulls the pain with pills.
Beer ads hit Manhattan
BREWER Innis & Gunn is continuing with its push into the United States by splashing advertisements for its brand across the side of giant delivery lorries in New York City.
Consumer confidence slumps as crisis fears grow
THE pressure on household budgets will be laid bare this week when figures are expected to reveal the UK’s return to recession and the Eurozone crisis have pushed consumer confidence to one of its lowest levels in the past 40 years.
Jeff Salway: Banks need to be called to account over fees
IT’S no page-turner, but the Financial Ombudsman Service’s latest annual review serves up another damning indictment of the culture of high street banking.
Food allergy test could lead to Glasgow lab launch
A BLOOD test that could offer hope for millions of food-intolerance sufferers will be rolled out across the UK this summer in a move that may lead to the setting up of a dedicated laboratory in Glasgow.
Pipe network may be sold off
AN UNDERGROUND network of oil pipelines developed by the UK government during the Second World War to protect supplies could be privatised as part of plans to modernise Britain’s energy infrastructure.
Glasgow finance firm seeks to raise £1bn for social housing lending bonds
A NEW financing firm aims to take advantage of turmoil in Europe to raise £1 billion to lend to social housing providers. Glasgow-based Carduus is launching a £200 million bond in November and has about 20 social landlords signed up. The company intends to launch further bonds at intervals over the following months.
Director dealings: Telecity chiefs put their faith in growth
DATA centre group Telecity recently reported a “positive start” to 2012 with good first-quarter growth in revenue and profitability.
Market watch: Dismal weather likely to dampen B&Q and Halfords
THE impact of the poor spring weather on B&Q-owner Kingfisher and bikes and car parts retailer Halfords will be revealed this week when the pair publish updates.
Solicitors rethink legal charges
CHARGING by the hour is as much a part of the legal establishment as powdered wigs and pin-striped suits.
Teachers’ firm targets developing economies
A FORMER Fettes College teacher has returned to Edinburgh after five years in Asia and has launched a business providing teaching materials to the growing legion of international schools in emerging economies.
Iomart looks to £20m goal
WEBSITE hosting firm Iomart is expected to make further acquisitions and double its profits to £20 million by 2014, according to the Glasgow-based company’s house broker.
Heat is on for Thomas Cook
THOMAS Cook faces a make-or-break meeting with shareholders this week as it seeks approval for two disposals, without which the firm has warned it could collapse.
Bailey’s bid to end ‘free banking’ faces difficulties
A CALL by a Bank of England dircetor for the plug to be pulled on free high-street banking would face significant political and consumer hurdles, senior Whitehall sources have claimed.
Wettest spring on record puts a damper on M&S
THE wettest spring on record and financial turmoil in the Eurozone are set to cast a cloud over annual results at high street retail icon Marks & Spencer this week.
Consumers see modest fall in inflation as oil prices ease
HARD-PRESSED businesses and consumers are likely to get some respite this week when figures show inflation has fallen back from its recent highs – though other news on the economy remains grim.
Lady Susan Rice appointed president of Scottish Council for Development and Industry
LADY Susan Rice, managing director of Lloyds Banking Group Scotland, has been appointed president of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI).
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‘Shareholder spring’ continues with bid to block election of HSBC chairman
ADVISORY body PIRC is calling on investors to oppose the re-election of HSBC chairman Douglas Flint at the banking group’s annual meeting on Friday in a further sign that the ‘shareholder spring’ is set to continue.
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HP plant to bounce back from layoffs
IT WAS once one of the flag-bearers for Scotland’s “Silicon Glen” electronics industry before manufacturing of computer terminals was switched to the Czech Republic and hundreds of workers were laid off.
You’re hired: Scottish textile makers to recruit more apprentices
SCOTLAND’S textile manufacturers are working together on the nationwide roll-out of an initiative aimed at encouraging more young people into the industry, following the successful launch of a modern apprenticeship scheme in the Borders last year.
Jeff Salway: Avoid lure of payday loans trap
SCOTS mired in money difficulties have been urged to seek help instead of getting trapped in a spiral of long-term debt by resorting to payday loans.
Comment: What is there to ‘like’ about Facebook flotation?
FEW flotations have captured the public’s imagination in quite the same way as Facebook’s first day of trading on Friday. As one observer stated, it was rare for such an event to take place in which everyone has a stake in the outcome.
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Website books up 300 B&B owners
MORE than 300 bed and breakfast owners have signed up to use a website aimed at giving small businesses greater access to Scotland’s £4.2 billion tourism industry by slicing through bureaucracy.
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Caribbean meets Celtic in food and music festival
SCOTLAND’S second-largest whisky distiller and one of the biggest rum brands in the Caribbean have teamed up to sponsor a Celtic food and music festival in Barbados, which has attracted a string of performers in recent years, including former Fairground Attraction singer Eddi Reader.
Angels backing Scottish biotech companies
LIFE science companies remain the most popular type of investment with Scottish business angels, according to new figures released by trade body Linc Scotland.
HBJ Gateley boosts its ranks with new partners
LAW firm HBJ Gateley is continuing to beef up its partnership following the loss of six senior staff in Glasgow last year, while rival Pinsent Masons has made its first senior hire since taking over McGrigors earlier this month.
Scottish risk management consultancy lifted by euro crisis
THE turbulence in the Eurozone has sparked a wave of interest in handling sovereign debt risk for a fast- expanding Scottish financial consultancy.
China beckons for East Kilbride-based software firm Gael
THE software firm chaired by former enterprise minister Jim Mather is preparing to open an office in China as it targets 40 per cent turnover growth this year to push sales through the £10 million mark.
Comment: Politicians should bow out of pensions
FORCING babies to find paid employment – or presumably forgo their right to be sick all over anyone close enough – seemed beyond the pale even for this government.
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Comment: Pain in Spain a headache for everyone
TWO telephone calls out of the blue at the end of last week brought disturbing news. The first was from a well-connected source in Brussels; the second from a contact in Spain.
Director dealings: Failure of well hits shares in Chariot
SHARES in explorer Chariot Oil & Gas fell sharply last week after a disappointing drilling update from one of its sites in Namibia.
Geoff Mulgan: New generation of pioneers waiting to be switched on
YOU might have thought that learning about information technology in schools would be exciting and infinitely motivating. After all, teenagers find it hard to tear themselves away from games and social media. Left to their own devices, they have no difficulty creating new characters, stories and home movies.
Major retail developments ‘are finished’
PROPERTY experts say the rapid growth of online shopping means the days of big retail developments are over.
2 commentsPayday loans can lead to spiral of debt, report warns
A THIRD of people who have taken out payday loans have run into even greater financial difficulties as a result, a new report has revealed.
Clients facing £6m losses over Dunedin
FAILED wealth adviser Dunedin Independent has left creditors more than £400,000 out of pocket and clients facing losses of up to £6 million on mis-sold investments, new documents have revealed.
In with the Brics: spending spree from tourists boosts capital shops
RETAILERS in Edinburgh are cashing in on a boom in the number of visitors from the fast-growing “Bric” economies, who are fuelling a 75 per cent surge in duty-free spending.
Slump in property deals
THE value of commercial property deals in Scotland has slumped to its lowest level for more than six years following a 40 per cent crash in the first quarter of 2012.
Website boss dismisses ‘threat’ to Scots jobs
DESIGN firms in Scotland are being undercut by a website that allows users to outsource work to Eastern Europe and India at a fraction of the price, sparking fears that buyers will increasingly seek inferior designs at the expense of small British firms and sole traders.
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Bill Jamieson: Mixed messages cloud the picture
WE’RE reversing. We’re slumping. We’re growing. We’re slowing. It’s a Double Dip. No it’s not. Yes it is.
Pick your way through the maze of conflicting data in the past week and you could go down in a spin with Signpost Sickness.
It pays to know your way round the investment map
FUNDS that spread your money across different types of assets are growing in popularity as investors seek shelter from unpredictable market conditions.
Jeff Salway: Fairness for tenants comes at a cost
WE’RE heading for a summer of overhaul in Scotland that will leave tenants, landlords and letting agents in the private rented market with more rights – and more gripes.
Director dealings: Falling share price tempts Densitron chief
DENSITRON Technologies, which specialises in designing electronic displays including touch screens, enjoyed substantial growth in its last financial year.
Market watch: Weather adds to pressure on SSE
TWO of Britain’s biggest pub chains are poised to reveal this week whether last month’s wash-out weather has dampened sales, while SSE will report on whether the wetness boosted demand for electricity and gas.
Rebrand boosts Browns
BROWNS Food Group expects to double sales of its Tarbert cooked meat range this year after supermarket giants Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco reacted positively to a rebranding that emphasises its Scottish credentials.
Jumpstart recruits 40 staff to drive expansion
TAX credit specialist Jumpstart has launched a major recruitment drive that is expected to create 40 highly skilled jobs and add up to £10 million in turnover.
- Family mourn death of Glasgow ‘fight’ schoolboy
- Rangers takeover: Duff & Phelps threaten legal action against BBC
- Today’s youth not fit to be employed, says car firm Arnold Clark
- Rangers administration: Fans fear Duff & Phelps claims could scare off Green
- Rangers takeover: triple penalty punishment enough, says Johnston
- Alistair Darling leads ‘No to independence’ fight over tea and biscuits
- Scottish independence: SNP flip-flops over Nato
- Scottish Independence: SNP ‘won’t be Yes campaign’s only voice’
- Scottish independence: Alex Salmond’s pledge to sign up 1m voters
- Today’s youth not fit to be employed, says car firm Arnold Clark
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Weather for Edinburgh
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
