Latest news with #SpringStatement
Scottish Sun
24-07-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Exact time you should schedule interview to get the job of your dreams revealed by scientists
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCIENTISTS have revealed the exact time your should schedule a job interview to secure the job of your dreams. After studying over 100,000 oral exams at Italian universities, researchers identified a specific two-hour window when success rates were highest. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 The reasons behind this midday advantage are thought to involve biological rhythms Credit: Getty Midday, between 11am and 1pm, appears to be the ideal time for interviews, while early morning and late afternoon sessions tend to be less promising. Professor Carmelo Vicario, director of the Cognitive Neuroscience lab at the University of Messina in Sicily, said: "Students were more likely to pass in late morning compared to early morning or late afternoon. "We believe this pattern could extend to job interviews or any evaluative process scheduled throughout the day." Professor Alessio Avenanti of the University of Bologna, a co-author of the study, said: "These findings have wide-ranging implications." The reasons behind this midday advantage are thought to involve biological rhythms. Candidates may perform better during this time, while assessors - whether examiners or interviewers - could feel sharper and even more generous after meal breaks or earlier sessions. Previous studies have highlighted similar patterns, including research showing judges are more likely to deliver lenient decisions after meal breaks than later in the day. The UK job market is highly competitive, with an average of 48.7 people applying for each job, according to recruitment software firm Tribepad. Despite this, employers typically only interview around six candidates per vacancy. This makes it essential to prepare thoroughly and stand out to secure your spot and succeed in the interview. Living wage working family react to the Spring Statement How else can I boost my chances? To improve your chances of success in a UK job interview, there are several strategies to consider beyond simply timing your interview well. Fortunately, the recruitment site has shared its top tips to help you prepare. Follow along so you can smash that next interview. Do your homework First, thoroughly research the company to avoid appearing unprepared, as nearly half of hiring managers are put off by candidates who lack knowledge about the organisation. Study the company's website, recent news, mission, and values. Plus, ensure you fully understand the role by reviewing the job description and preparing to align your skills and experience with the job requirements, as failing to do so is a common reason for interview failure. Prepare and practice Preparation and practice are key to building confidence. Anticipate common questions such as "Why do you want this job?" and "Why are you leaving your current role?" Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers to competency-based questions clearly and effectively. Practising your responses will help you deliver them with clarity and confidence during the interview. Master your communication Communication plays a crucial role in making a strong impression. Your body language should convey confidence, with good posture and consistent eye contact. Actively listen to the interviewer to ensure your answers are relevant and show genuine engagement. Speak clearly and remain calm, taking a moment to think before responding if needed. Engage in two-way conversation Engaging in a two-way conversation is another way to leave a positive impression. Prepare questions about the role, team dynamics, and company culture to demonstrate your interest. Avoid asking about salary or benefits during the initial interview. Using the interviewer's name during the conversation can help build rapport and create a more personal connection. Keep it professional Professionalism is essential throughout the process. Dress appropriately in smart business attire if you are unsure of the dress code. Arriving 10-15 minutes early shows punctuality, as being late is often seen as a red flag. And be polite to everyone you encounter, from the receptionist to the interviewer, as your conduct with others can influence the overall assessment. Consider following up Finally, consider following up after the interview with a thank-you note. While this is not a guaranteed way to secure the job, a personalised thank-you email or note can tip the scales in your favour if the decision is between two strong candidates. It demonstrates professionalism and reiterates your interest in the role.
Spectator
20-07-2025
- Business
- Spectator
Why Reeves should sell her bitcoin hoards
Deep fried prawn balls, chicken chow mein, crispy shredded beef and a Ponzi scheme could be about to win the Chancellor a decent chunk of her headroom back. As Rachel Reeves starts sketching out her autumn Budget, most of the focus has been on the tax hikes she'll need if she's serious about sticking to the 'ironclad' fiscal rules she recommitted to just last week. Economists reckon the wafer-thin £9.9 billion margin she left herself at the Spring Statement has already been wiped out and that she's now staring down a black hole of over £20 billion. So it was a relief to read this morning that the Treasury isn't relying solely on tax rises and has discovered a rather large stash of money down the back of the government sofa. According to The Telegraph, the government is developing a system to allow police forces and the National Crime Agency to sell more than £5 billion crypto assets seized in recent years We don't know the total amount of confiscated crypto the state is sitting on but one seizure in 2018 took in 61,000 bitcoin. If sold today, it would bring in some £5.4 billion – more than triple the culture budget and twenty times its value on the day the police got their hands on it. Jian Wen, who worked in a chinese takeaway, was convicted of laundering money – and her bitcoin seized – from a crypto scam carried out in China when she went from a life living in 'shabby Chinese restaurants' to putting cash offers on £24 million pound houses in Hampstead and villas in Tuscany. Victims of that Wen's ponzi scheme will be entitled to any proceeds of the sell off but experts are confident that enough of them will be untraceable that the Treasury can scoop up the rest and use it to start plugging the black hole. Of course, if Reeves does press 'sell', she will be accused of 'pulling a Gordon Brown', and selling the gold. Bitcoin is already up nearly 20 per cent this year and on current trajectories the Wen haul could be worth over £200 billion in 20 years. But she'd be wise to ignore those voices. Sure, crypto probably will rise. But given it has no fundamental value it might nosedive too. And the state simply can't afford to gamble on highly volatile assets when the public finances are in the mess they are in. So if this really is the plan, the Chancellor should act fast, take the money, and resist the temptation to hold. If all goes well she can treat herself to a Chinese.
CNBC
04-07-2025
- Business
- CNBC
A year after its landslide win, Britain's Labour Party is navigating a tougher-than-expected path
It's been one year since Labour returned to power in a landslide victory that appeared to show the party had turned over a new leaf after 14 years in opposition. But the last 12 months have been nothing short of tumultuous for British Prime Minister Keir promises, especially on the economy, have failed to materialize and as a result, Starmer's popularity has plummeted in the polls. When he became prime minister a year ago, 44% of voters polled by YouGov had a favorable opinion of Starmer. By May this year, that figure had fallen to a record low of 23%, although his rating has improved since then, standing at 28% in government's main mission was to kick start growth and make people better off but a year on, business optimism, productivity and job creation remain muted – pressured in part, by a rise in the national living wage and employers' national insurance contributions. Meanwhile, high borrowing costs and inflation continue to weigh on household finances. Despite the U.K. growing more than expected in the first quarter, economists expect it to get worse from here, especially as the impact of tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump hang in the Chancellor Rachel Reeves vowed to fix public finances, but her pledge to rule out both tax rises on working people and any increase in borrowing has left her in a difficult Reeves' tenure has stood out for a series of U-turns on welfare, spending cuts in her "Spring Statement" and speculation about whether she will be in the job by year-end. With little room to maneuver, analysts now see a rising prospect of fresh tax hikes in this "Autumn Budget" — when the chancellor next sets out the government's taxation and spending plans — in a move unlikely to gain Labour favor with voters. "When it comes to the Autumn Budget, whoever the chancellor is, they'll have some really difficult decisions to make," said Simon Pittaway, senior economist at the Resolution Foundation, told CNBC Wednesday. "Sticking to the existing fiscal rules is really crucial, that would signal credibility and confidence to the market. Some combination of higher taxes and lower spending towards the end of the forecast period might be the way forward," he added. Domestic issues aside, Labour has arguably found more success on the international stage with the government delivering a triple whammy of 'historic' trade deals with India, the U.S. and the many political commentators have hailed these developments as major breakthroughs, the overall economic impact remains to be seen. It hasn't been enough to get Labour's ratings back on track. Keir Starmer's popularity with the public fell to a record low in May, according to a YouGov survey. "I think the reset of relations with the European Union is important. [There's a] long way to go with that, but that sets us back on a sensible track, and I think he [Starmer] has managed this incredibly difficult task of working with President Trump, really quite adroitly," Philip Rycroft, former permanent secretary at the Department for Exiting the European Union, told CNBC Wednesday. "We have the trade deal, and it's been trumpeted as historic, and I wouldn't call it that. It's essentially limiting the damage that Trump would have done otherwise to our trade. And all of this has required the eating of quite a lot of humble pie," Rycroft noted. "You have to make these decisions conscious of what is in the national interest, and so trying to ride that tiger is the right thing to do, and he's done it so far pretty well", he added. At the same time as Starmer's popularity has taken a hit, rival party Reform UK is gaining favor. Recent YouGov polling shows that Nigel Farage's party is on the way to get the most seats, if an election took place this year. "The rise of Reform illustrates the level of disaffection with politics and political outcomes," said Rycroft, who noted that "this should be redressable by good policymaking, but it will take time.""I think there's always a risk that the reaction from the political classes to trim their policies in response to those sort of popular pressures, thereby not making the tough decisions that are required to deal with the problems that are driving that disaffection. So my guess is that policymaking as usual will not be sufficient to deal with the underlying discontent that is driving the rise of Reform."But as bad as the outlook may be for Labour, with another four years until another general election, Starmer may still have time to turn the ship around. "So it comes back to this question, will the Labour government, with that big majority, seize the moment and make some of the changes this country requires to give people a sense that we're on the right track again?," asked Rycroft.
The National
02-07-2025
- Business
- The National
Gilt yields spike following Rachel Reeves's tears during PMQs
Her sister Ellie Reeves, also an MP, was seen holding her hand as she left the chamber on Wednesday. Following PMQs ten-year gilt yields, which move inversely to the price of UK Government bonds and affect the cost of borrowing for the government, rose above 4.6%. (Image: UK Parliament) Reeves is facing intense scrutiny over her handling of public finances after the welfare bill was watered down, with rebel Labour backbenchers reportedly claiming the Chancellor intervened on reforms and looked for quick savings ahead of the Spring Statement. Labour's welfare U-turn last night will cost the UK Government £3 billion extra, according to the Resolution Foundation, while the restoration of winter fuel payments will add a further £1.3bn to government bills. Following the Spring Statement, economists warned that Reeves had left herself too little headroom, leaving public finances on shaky ground. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) also warned that extra spending commitments would lead to tax rises. Meanwhile, City analysts have previously estimated that the government could be forced to raise in excess of £20bn in order to restore her fiscal buffer. Other economists have suggested that the Chancellor could revise fiscal rules to allow for more spending, but higher borrowing commitments could rattle bond markets, with current debt interest payments set to total £104bn, more than double the levels seen in the 2010s.
ITV News
02-07-2025
- Business
- ITV News
Welfare U-turn leaves chancellor with financial blackhole that could lead to further humiliation
Economics Editor Joel Hills breaks down the financial repercussions of the government's welfare U-turn The welfare bill U-turn is politically embarrassing for the government, and it also leaves the chancellor with a significant financial problem. If you recall, the original plan was rushed out before the Spring Statement in March because Rachel Reeves was in danger of breaking the borrowing and debt rules she had just set, at the first time of asking. The government envisaged saving £4.5 billion a year by making it harder to qualify for Personal Independence Payments. And a further £2.7 billion by cutting future spending on incapacity benefit - the 'health' element of Universal Credit. The government also wanted to increase the generosity of universal credit for those out of work without health problems - benefit support for jobseekers in the UK is pretty mean by comparison with other wealthy European nations. This netted out at total savings of £5.5 billion by 2029/30. The PIP changes were tweaked and have now been shelved. The changes to the incapacity benefit have been watered down. The uplift to the standard allowance goes ahead as planned, so savings are now the sum total of zero. As things stand, the changes are likely to cost the government money. 'After [yesterday's] climbdown, the government is effectively returning to the drawing board,' says Helen Miller of the Institute for Fiscal Studies. 'The Timms Review may lead to savings, although Sir Stephen Timms, minister of state for social security and disability, has said that the review is not intended to save money. And this review is not due to report until autumn 2026.' Let us be clear, there has been a HUGE increase in the number of people claiming disability and incapacity benefits in the last five years. We don't really know why. It's definitely not Long Covid. It's probably not entirely down to the cost of living crisis, although higher inflation will have been painful for anyone on benefits. We do know this hasn't happened in other countries. It's perfectly normal for a government to be concerned about a surge in claims and to seek to reform the system, but goodness, this has been a fiasco. Back in March, according to the OBR, the chancellor had £10 billion of headroom against her self-imposed fiscal rules. £5.5 billion of that has gone. Another U-turn on winter fuel will cost the government another £1 billion. The outlook for economic growth (and therefore tax revenues) is weak. Borrowing is overshooting, and the government's borrowing costs are high. The news doesn't look good. As things stand, there's a good chance Rachel Reeves will have to increase taxes in the autumn, if she is still chancellor. Unless something changes, there's the prospect of further political humiliation ahead. From Westminster to Washington DC - our political experts are across all the latest key talking points. Listen to the latest episode below...
