Politicians bad at maths?

IFS putdown

Neither Labour nor the Conservatives are offering a credible spending plan in the upcoming election, according to thinktank the Institute for Fiscal Studies. The criticism stems from the fact that the Conservative manifesto offers “nothing new'' while Labour wants to “change everything”.

Bags of plastic

Despite pledging to cut down, supermarkets are producing more plastic than ever, creating 58.3 billion pieces between them in the last 12 months. Greenpeace is calling for higher charges on plastic bags including a 70p price tag on reusable “bags for life”. Of the UK’s top supermarkets, only Waitrose, Tesco, and Sainsbury’s have managed to reduce their plastic output in the past year.

Bonmarché back?

The womenswear retailer fell into administration in October but is set to be rescued by rival clothing chain Peacocks. Although a firm deal is yet to be agreed, the buyout is expected to rescue the majority of Bonmarché’s 285 stores, potentially saving hundreds of jobs.

Call for the real living wage

Influential City investors have written to chief executives of the UK’s top firms, including Royal Mail, JD Sports and British Airways, to urge them to pay their employees the real living wage (£10.75 per hour in London and £9.30 per hour across the rest of the UK). Their argument? A workforce that is fairly paid, well valued and respected will perform better than one that isn’t.