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John Duckers

John Duckers

Cobbetts in new rules shake-up for partners

Cobbetts has announced a major partner shake-up in a bid to incentivise its lawyers in a new world of competition. Read

Gloomy outlook for year ahead

Confidence amongst West Midlands businesses may have been dented by the tougher conditions of recent months but firms are taking a balanced view of 2008, according to the Business in Britain survey from Lloyds TSB Commercial. Read

Companies welcome apprentice shake-up

There has been a widespread welcome from business for the planned shake-up of the apprenticeship system. Read

PGL cash buy just one cog in Metalrax's turnaround

Birmingham-based Metalrax, the niche supplier of specialist engineering and consumer durable products, has acquired Post Glover Lifelink for £3 million in cash. Read

Birmingham needs to take a few risks

I was chatting to a private equity specialist the other day and we got onto the outlook for Birmingham's new-local stock exchange Investbx. Read

Small firms stay positive despite gloom

Small businesses in Birmingham are looking on the bright side, it was claimed today. Read

Tell us where you stand, Lord Digby

A part of me fears I have taken a pot-shot at God. Read

Beware foreign worker pitfalls

Employers seeking to plug the skills gap in the region by hiring foreign workers should be aware of the potential legal pitfalls. Read

Rates decision disappoints West Midlands

Business in the West Midlands took the Bank of England's no change decision on interest rates in its stride - never really expecting it would announce a cut two months in succession. Read

FTSE 100 final salary pensions in surplus to the tune of £15bn

Final salary pension plans of FTSE 100 companies reached an aggregate surplus of £15 billion at the end of 2007, according to accountancy firm Deloitte. Read

Waldrons still puts people first after 140-year history

Solicitors Waldrons are celebrating a milestone anniversary having been at the heart of the Black Country's economy for 140 years. Read

Trio of retail giants offer hope

Not all is woe on the high street, with three top retailers doing particularly well, it was revealed yesterday. Read

High street comes out fighting

It was the day the high street fought back - a host of upbeat trading statements gave hope that the retail sector may not be as deep in the mire as first feared. Read

Why Labour is falling out of love with Baron Jones

The unlikely love affair between Baron Jones of Birmingham and the Labour Party is looking ever more like a mismatch. Read

Serious squeeze on private equity

The UK private equity market dropped by 80 per cent in the final quarter of 2007 - the first truly authoritative figures on the full extent of the credit crunch reveal. Read

Hiring out data security can be tricky business

Outsourcing the management of personal data to another company doesn't mean a business is out of the woods when it comes to security lapses, it was claimed today. Read

High Street hit by Christmas sales slump

Fears of Christmas sales woe on the High Street appeared to be confirmed yesterday by the first batch of retail trading statements. Read

Construction sector defies predictions

The construction sector in the UK appears to be brushing off the impact of the credit crunch relatively well, a survey released yesterday found. Read

Warning on 'manslaughter act'

Businesses in Birmingham are being warned that the introduction of the Corporate Manslaughter Act, which becomes law from next April, could trigger a raft of prosecutions as a result of poor management of business mileage. Read

900 firms sign up for Solihull regeneration

More than 900 businesses within the North Solihull regeneration zone have signed up to a database aimed at helping local companies get involved in the transformation of the area. 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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