Tag Archives: politicians

Calling The UK’s Female Entrepreneurs: Enter The NatWest Everywoman Awards

Posted on by

beyonce_super_bowl_The UK’s longest-running programme for championing female enterprise, the NatWest everywoman Awards is welcoming entries for 2013. These awards, in their eleventh year, differentiate themselves by recognising business success at every stage of maturity – from embryonic start-ups demonstrating promise to established enterprises that are making a significant contribution to the British economy.

The search is now on to find the female entrepreneurs who will join the ranks of past winners; Chrissie Rucker MBE, Jo Malone MBE, Cath Kidston MBE, Hilary Devey and Dame Mary Perkins as well as the dozens of other women of all ages, household names of tomorrow, who are leading successful businesses the length and breadth of the country.

The number of people setting up their own businesses has jumped by 367,000 since the start of the downturn in 2008*, demonstrating how while necessity may be the mother of invention, a recession can be the mother of innovation. Every year, these awards demonstrate how women from all backgrounds are turning to entrepreneurship to realise their career ambitions. The NatWest everywoman awards raise the profile of pioneering, innovative, inspiring women whose journeys serve to encourage others to join the existing 4.2 million business owners in the UK.

The NatWest everywoman Awards are free to enter and individuals can be nominated or can enter themselves. The core award categories are:


Artemis – given to the most inspirational woman running a business who is aged 25 or under.

Demeter – awarded to the most inspirational woman running a business who is aged between 26 and 35.

Athena – presented to the most inspirational woman running a business who is aged between 36 and 49.

Hera – for the most inspirational woman running a business who is aged 50 or over.

Specialist categories include:

Iris – presented to the most inspirational and successful female entrepreneur who runs a technology business that makes a difference provides real solutions in the world today and, ultimately, is instrumental in building a smarter planet.

Hestia – for the most inspirational and successful female entrepreneur who runs a business in a remote rural location and makes a contribution to the local community.

Gaia – awarded to the most inspirational and successful female entrepreneur who runs a business with a clearly defined social and/or ethical purpose at its heart.

Maxine Benson MBE, co-founder and director of everywoman comments: “These awards recognise that starting and building a successful enterprise does not come with an instruction manual. We understand that business success is driven by women of all ages, from all backgrounds, across industry sectors. Over the years we have recognised hundreds of women who exhibit diverse skills and characteristics that have helped them succeed. Enterprise has never been more popular, and it is encouraging that so many more women are pursuing this route. We want to search out and identify the country’s hidden female entrepreneurs, whether they are just a year into their journey or are growing an established business turning over millions of pounds. By spreading the word about the triumphs of these trailblazing women, others will appreciate how rewarding owning a business can be, and have the confidence to follow in their footsteps.”

Nominations are made online at http://www.everywoman.com/ewawards until 8 July and will be judged by a panel of accomplished businesswomen and entrepreneurs.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony held on 4 December 2013 attended by hundreds of the UK’s leading businesswomen, politicians, media and VIPS. For further information and for table bookings, please contact everywoman directly on 020 7981 2574.

Politicians Get £400 Per Month Food Allowance While Families Go Hungry

Posted on by

It has not been a good time for the general public recently. In the past few years we have learned that some of our politicians are corrupt (the expenses scandal), that some of the Metropolitan Police Force was on the pay role of News Corporation, and that some of the press dealt in illegal activities to get their stories. Is anyone on the straight and narrow these days?

While ordinary people feel the pinch along with everyone else MP’s are legally claiming £400 per month on food. In fact, politics is the only career that I can think of where your get a food allowance and also get your rent or mortgage paid. All by the taxpayer, who can barely afford to live.

Recently I watched a brilliant documentary that was on the BBC called Britain’s Hidden Hungry. This was along the same lines of an excellent Marie Claire magazine article that I recently read. The documentary focused on food banks in Coventry. Food banks are on the rise now as families tighten their belts. Their are 11 food bank in Coventry. They are called Hope Centres and are set up by a Christian charity. A voucher is given to you by social services if you are deemed in need. Each voucher gives you 3 days of food.

Two more food banks are opening every week. The food bank in Coventry fed 10,000 people in 8 months. These food banks are on the rise all over the UK. Sometimes people need them as they have fallen down a benefits hole. One young women in the documentary who was in full time education only ate one meal a day because she was not eligible for benefits. She was even told to have a child by an employee at the benefits agency so she could apply for benefits.

I know quite a few politicians and they are not all corrupt and horrible. Some of them go into politics to help people and do good. But you have to wonder why in the current economical climate they are making cuts to benefits and the price of everything is rising above inflation that MP’s still get their food and rent paid for them. Especially as their constituents will be surviving on the bare minimum. If they really want to make more cuts, maybe that would be a good place to start?

Some MP’s do not even seem grateful at being in the only profession I can think of that pays for your food and rent and are still taking advantage of the situation.

David Amess is one of 27 MPs who claim expenses up to £20,000 a year to rent a second home in London while letting out the property and pocketing the cash. But he is doing nothing wrong according to parliamentary rules, just moral ones then.

Amess’s constituency home is in Essex, a mere 41 miles from Westminster. One wonders why MPs cannot commute like the rest of us. Amess owns a home in South West London, rents another at the expense of the taxpayer AND was claiming expenses to stay in a hotel in London.

The MP hit taxpayers with 23 separate expenses claims for ­hotels since July 2011.

Is one of the reasons so many MP’s are happily pushing through more austerity measures, because the austerity never affects them? Maybe a dose of reality is in order.

Politicians ‘Least Trusted Profession in UK’.

Posted on by

POLITICIANS VOTED LEAST TRUSTED PROFESSION IN THE UK

The RatedPeople Trust Index, calculated from four different attributes, has today revealed that politicians are the least trusted profession in the UK from a list of professions, coming bottom for reliability, honesty and quality of work.

The research of 2,054 adults, conducted by YouGov on behalf of the online trade recommendation service, assessed a range of different professions on four criteria: value for money, honesty, reliability and quality of work. Politicians were most likely to be voted as poor or very poor for reliability (62%), honesty (70%) and overall quality of work (57%), performing worse than both bankers and estate agents despite the maligned public image of these professions.

However, politicians managed to place ahead of premiership footballers in one category, value for money, where premiership footballers fared considerably worse, perhaps as a result of their multi-million pound annual salaries (76% rated footballers as poor or very poor value for money, compared to 60% for politicians.) By comparison, teachers enjoyed a clean sweep coming top across the board on the four criteria.

The research highlights which professions are trusted most by the British public, and of the different types of tradesmen included in the list, gardeners topped the list, however they came second overall across all the professions, to teachers for reliability, value for money and honesty. Electricians were named as the tradesmen that provide the best quality of work (50% rated the quality of electricians’ work as good or very good).

Perhaps because of the trade’s reputation for cowboys, and reflecting the 2.5 million disputes that happen every year, builders were named as the least trusted tradesmen nationally, scoring the lowest marks of all the trades assessed.

The UK’s most trusted professionals from our list are as follows:

1. Teachers

2. Gardeners

3. Electricians

4. Plumbers

5. Roofers

6. Builders

7. Bankers

8. Estate Agents

9. Premiership Footballers

10. Politicians

Rated across all four criteria: value for money, reliability, honesty and quality

RatedPeople.com’s brand ambassador and celebrity gardener, Toby Buckland, commented:

“I’m delighted to see gardeners made it to the number two spot in this research.

“Perhaps the reason that we have fared so well in the study is that gardening is a labour of love, it’s very easy for people to see the amount of hard work that goes into doing a gardening job and the results can completely transform an outside space.

“Building trust with your customers is an essential part of being a gardener if you want to achieve the best results for them. Trust ensures that they take your recommendations on board and have the confidence to rely on you to achieve the highest standards. Like so many in the trade, our reputation as professionals is built on this.”

The RatedPeople.com Trust Index also assessed which attributes are most likely to cause people to feel distrust when they first meet them. For more than two thirds (68%) of Brits, they are most likely to distrust a person if they have bad manners. This is followed by poor eye contact (52%), an unkempt appearance (40%) and being inarticulate (28%).

Brits aren’t a superficial bunch however, as being shorter (0%), unattractiveness (1%) and being younger (2%) were least likely to be cited as factors that make the most difference when it comes to deciding whether to trust someone. A further 1 in 10 (9%) people said that there are no attributes that would cause them to feel distrust. With actions speaking louder than words for these people, the four trust criteria are all the more important for helping to build a positive impression of a profession.

The features that will most make a Brit distrust someone are:

1. Bad manners

2. Poor eye contact

3. Unkempt appearance

4. Being inarticulate

5. A weak handshake

6. Badly dressed

Tariq Dag Khan from Rated People commented:

“They say that you form an opinion on someone within the first 30 seconds of meeting them, and our research has shown that a person’s behaviour can make all the difference.

“Builders, like other tradesmen, need to improve their image. Shows like Cowboy Builders and Rogue Traders taint the reputation of all tradesmen when in fact the vast majority of them deliver a job well done and at good value. One way for them to counter the unfair misperceptions is to improve communication with homeowners, as not doing so can fuel distrust. What helps is to be clear upfront about each project, starting with: what work is required; when it will be completed; and at what cost.

“Investing in home improvement can be a major commitment. So it helps when homeowners can be sure that the people they’re hiring to carrying out the project can be trusted to do the job right. Services like RatedPeople.com give consumers the confidence to know what they are getting before they take the plunge. The service works like word-of-mouth, by allowing homeowners to review the recommendations of thousands of other homeowners as part of the hiring process. It also allows tradesmen to build a profile for the great work they’re doing. This only helps to boost their trust ranking, so that next year they top the chart.”

Trust in Government Suffers a Severe Breakdown Across the Globe

Posted on by

Credibility of Governmental Officials and CEOs Experience Biggest Drops Ever, 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer Finds Blame for the financial and political chaos of 2011 landed at the doorstep of government, as trust in that institution fell a record nine points to 43 percent globally, according to the 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer.

In seventeen of the 25 countries surveyed, government is now trusted by less than half to do what is right. In twelve, it trails business, media, and non-governmental organizations as the least trusted institution. France, Spain, Brazil, China, Russia, and Japan, as well as six other countries, saw government trust drop by more than ten points. Government officials are now the least credible spokespeople, with only 29 percent considering them credible. Nearly half of the general population — the first time the Barometer looked at this broader group — say they do not trust government leaders to tell the truth.

“Business is now better placed than government to lead the way out of the trust crisis,” said Richard Edelman, president and CEO, Edelman. “But the balance must change so that business is seen both as a force for good and an engine for profit.”

Although business experienced fewer and generally less severe declines in trust, it has its own hurdles to clear. Trust in business fell globally from 56 percent to 53 percent, with countries like France and Germany, in the heart of the Eurozone economic crisis, experiencing double-digit decreases. Lack of confidence in business spread to South Korea, where trust dropped 15 points. China was the only country to see a significant increase in trust in business, rising from 61 to 71 percent.

CEO credibility declined 12 points to 38 percent, its biggest drop in nine years. In South Korea and Japan, it dropped by 34 and 43 points, respectively.

In the midst of this systemic decline in trust, a “person like me” has re-emerged as one of the three most credible spokespeople, with the biggest increase in credibility since 2004, and now trails only academics and technical experts. Regular employees jumped from least credible spokesperson to tied for fourth on the list, with a 16-point record rise. Social-networking, micro-blogging, and content-sharing sites witnessed the most dramatic percentage increase as trusted sources of information about a company, rising by 88, 86, and 75 percent, respectively.

“This is further evidence of the dispersion of authority,” said Mr. Edelman. “Smart businesses will talk to employees first, because citizens now trust one another more than they do established institutions.”

The 2012 Trust Barometer reveals that the factors responsible for shaping current trust levels are less important than those that will build future trust.  Consistent financial returns, innovative products and highly regarded senior leadership are the primary factors on which current trust levels lie. However, listening to customer feedback and putting customers ahead of profits are far more vital to building future trust.

“Our analysis shows that the operational factors driving present trust in business aren’t enough to expand trust in the future,” said Neal Flieger, chair, Strategy One, Edelman’s research firm. “The path forward requires more of a focus on societal and employee-facing issues.”

Although business is substantially more trusted than government, 49 percent of global respondents believe government does not regulate business enough. Nearly one-third want government to protect them from irresponsible business practices and one-quarter want regulation that will ensure responsible corporate behavior. “The interventions people are asking government to take are changes business can step up and implement on its own,” said Mr. Edelman.

Once again, banks and financial services declined in trust, and were the two least trusted sectors with France, Spain, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea recording the most severe drops.  Technology remained the most trusted sector globally.

Media, the one institution to see an increase, saw its global trust level rise above 50 percent. It experienced significant regional upticks in India (20 points), the U.S. (18 points), the UK (15 points) and Italy (12 points).

“As the media landscape dimensionalizes and delivers a wider range of options, it is becoming more trusted,” said Alan VanderMolen, President and CEO, Global Practices and Diversified Insights Business, Edelman. “The media also did an exceptional job this past year of covering the financial problems throughout the EU.”

In Japan, site of last March’s earthquake and subsequent nuclear disaster, trust fell severely in three of the four institutions including government (down 26 points), media (12 points), and NGOs (21 points). That loss of trust extended to five industry sectors, including energy (down 46 points), media (21 points), banks (20 points) and financial services (17 points).

“The fragility of trust was never more evident than this past year in Japan, where the government’s lack of leadership and the local utility’s poor transparency revealed huge shortcomings in the command-and-control approach to communications,” said Mr. Edelman.

 

Other key findings from the 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer include:

  • The United States held steady across three major institutions, unlike last year when it posted significant declines in NGOs, media, business, and government.
  • Traditional media and online search engines are the most trusted sources of information for people searching for general news and information, new product information, news on an environmental crisis, and company announcements. Traditional media, TV, newspapers, and magazines are still the most trusted sources of information, according to the Barometer.
  • Among 18-29 year olds, digital media is the most popular source for general news and information.
  • With the exception of technology and automotive, South Korea experienced extraordinary drops in trust in every industry sector. Telecommunications, down 32 points to 39 percent, and financial services, down 25 points to 39 percent, endured the largest drops in trust.
  • Brazil saw the greatest drops in trust across all major institutions – government (53 points), NGOs (down 31 points), business (18 points), and media (12 points). At the time of last year’s Trust Barometer, Brazil had just been awarded the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics and President Dilma Rousseff had just been elected. This year’s declines represent a return to normalcy for businesses and the arrest of four government officials for corruption.

Sienna Miller supports BUAV campaign to end cruel cosmetics tests on animals

Posted on by

Stage and screen star Sienna Miller is supporting the BUAV No Cruel Cosmetics campaign to end animal testing for toiletries and cosmetics sold in the EU. Sienna joins a number of high profile celebrities supporting the BUAV campaign, including Sir Paul McCartney, Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt and British Actress Jenny Seagrove.

Despite a UK and EU ban on the use of animals to test cosmetics and toiletries, companies are still allowed to sell products in the EU that have been tested on animals in other parts of the world. A ban on the import and sale of new animal tested cosmetic products in the EU is due to come into effect in 2013. However, concerns have arisen that this animal testing ban may be delayed. In response, the BUAV launched the European-wide No Cruel Cosmetics campaign calling for the ban to come into effect as planned in 2013.

If the ban is delayed, animals will continue to suffer and die needlessly in cruel tests for new beauty products sold in the EU. That means that hundreds of thousands more rabbits, guinea pigs, mice and rats could be injected, gassed or force-fed cosmetics worldwide for new beauty products sold in the EU, including right here in the UK.

Over one hundred thousand people across the UK and EU, including Sienna, have already signed the No Cruel Cosmetics petition which is being sent to the European Parliament. The BUAV petition can be signed at www.NoCruelCosmetics.org.

Michelle Thew, Chief Executive of the BUAV, said: “We are delighted to have the support of Sienna Miller. It is totally unacceptable for animals to continue to suffer and die in the name of beauty. Please join Sienna and support our No Cruel Cosmetics campaign to end cosmetics testing on animals. Sign our petition to the European Parliament at www.NoCruelCosmetics.org.”

Celebrities, politicians, cosmetic companies and European citizens are being urged to sign the Euro-wide petition calling for the animal testing ban to go ahead in 2013.