Stephen Haddrill

Governance Watch - Issue 54

Governance Watch - Issue 54

Inequality 

OECD figures suggest that the UK has among the highest levels of income inequality in the European Union (as measured by the Gini coefficient), although income inequality is lower than in the United States, says a research briefing from the UK Parliament in March 2019. This week the think-tank the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) announced the IFS Deaton Review, a major five-year investigation into whether there is a systemic bias in the country towards inequality. It has enormous implications for our thinking on a wide range of things, from public policy to societal behaviour and to the design of corporate governance and attitude to corporate behaviour.

Governance Watch - Issue 46

Governance Watch - Issue 46

Conflict of interest

The Patisserie Valerie saga, covered in the last Governance Watch, is the story that just keeps on giving on corporate governance. 

The Chief and CFO had “second helpings of shares despite no explanation from the chain” reported the Financial Times, following up with a report about £2.9m made from bonus share schemes, and then the company’s admission that it had awarded these bonuses without informing shareholders.  

Governance Watch - Issue 43

Governance Watch - Issue 43

Action, Not Words

This is the new mantra, aimed at British business and being chanted at it from all directions: ‘Action, Not Words’ (as noted in the last Governance Watch) when it comes to gender progression, ethnic representation and inclusion. 

Governance Watch - Issue 41

Governance Watch - Issue 41

Challenges

As we approach the end of a summer of discontent in the UK, business confidence is at its lowest in 2018, according to a survey by the Institute of Directors (IOD). The risks of a no-deal Brexit range from the impact on the NHS and the entire pharmaceutical industry to implications for more than €100 bn of European bank debt issued under English law. A ‘no-deal’ impact paper on financial services is among those listed to be published on Thursday. 

Governance Watch - Issue 38

Governance Watch - Issue 38

Data

There is irony in the timing of a £500,000 fine levied on Facebook today by the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for two breaches of the Data Protection Act in the scandal involving Cambridge Analytica. The breaches occurred before the latest European General Data Protection (GDPR) came into effect in May, therefore the £500,000 cap is one set by the UK’s Data Protection Act 1998.

Governance Watch - Issue 30

Governance Watch - Issue 30

Audit

It is a little difficult to consider something to be a ‘radical’ idea when it was first proposed seven years ago, in the immediate shadow of the financial crisis – to no avail. A snapshot of business media headlines cast a light on some of the complexities as well as the powerful forces at work that can prevent truly radical ideas from becoming reality.

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