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John Duckers

John Duckers

Chamber calls for a new Budget

Chancellor Alistair Darling has a last chance to redeem himself in tomorrow's Budget, Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry has warned. Read

Clients use private investigators to uncover marital infidelity

More than two-thirds of lawyers last year had at least one instance of a client using a private investigator to confirm or deny their suspicions that their spouse was cheating, according to new research by Grant Thornton's Forensic and Investigation Services practice. Read

One minor offence could haunt children for life

Birmingham solicitors Williamson & Soden has voiced concerns over the extent to which children's personal information is being stored on the UK's DNA database. Read

BoE right to hold rates - Chamber

The Bank of England did the responsible thing by keeping interest rates on hold this month, the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry declared yesterday. Read

AWM contenders all have their strengths

So, who is going to win the race to be chairman of Advantage West Midlands? As The Birmingham Post revealed last week, six top business leaders are battling it out to become the next head of the regional development agency. Read

Minimising the risks of hazards in the workplace

Birmingham law firm Blakemores Solicitors is calling for employees to be more aware of the risks of trips, slips and falls that they can face in the workplace. Read

Accounting for new pension rules

Businesses should factor latest pension accounting rules into their funding negotiations with trustees to avoid taking a hit to their balance sheet, they were warned today. Read

Trinity Mirror expects 'satisfactory' performance

Newspaper publisher Trinity Mirror, owner of The Birmingham Post, said it expected advertising revenue to have fallen around three per cent in January and February this year and unveiled flat underlying pretax profit for 2007. Read

Cobbetts lose 31 staff to Shoosmiths

Four partners and their teams from Cobbetts’ social housing group are making a move to Shoosmiths in a major defection. Read

Six in the frame for top AWM job

Six top business leaders are battling it out to become the next chairman of regional development agency Advantage West Midlands. Read

Baroness Hogg slams Government over Rock crisis

Baroness Hogg has told a gathering of the CBI West Midlands at the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham that the Northern Rock crisis was badly managed by the Government. Read

Mortgage approvals down a third

Mortgage approvals picked up from near record lows in January, but remain dismal for the time of year, the British Bankers' Association said yesterday. Read

Midlands yet to feel the full force of credit crunch

John Duckers and James O'Brien look at how the credit crunch is affecting the West Midlands. Read

Roger Carr risks biting off more than he can chew

I get a bit edgy about these serial non-executive directors who seem to populate industry and commerce. Read

BoE guru warns of more shocks

The Bank of England may have to send a flurry of open letters to the Chancellor if the present volatile economic conditions prevail, Monetary Policy Committee member Kate Barker warned yesterday. Read

Favourable diagnosis for binding site

A Birmingham bioscience company has seen a surge in both profits and sales. Read

Don't chuck the cheque just yet

When was the last time you wrote a cheque? Read

Red tape bill up by £1bn in year

The regulation burden on West Midlands businesses has shot up by almost £1 billion in the last year. Read

Write-downs and bad debts

Hefty write-downs and bad debt charges will dominate the bank reporting season over the next few days. Read

Record order book for high-flying Hampsons

Black Country aerospace group Hampson Industries is flying high as orders continue to pour in. Read

Author Profile

John Duckers has worked for The Birmingham Post for 18 years, most of those as business editor. Formerly with The Press and Journal in Aberdeen, he won a number of awards while working in Scotland including for reporting on the Piper Alpha oil platform disaster. Born on the Wirral, he was educated at Uppingham School and Dundee University. Aged 56, he also acts as 'vicar on earth' producing the John Bright column.

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