A High Court judge ruled today that employers are legally entitled to force workers to retire at 65.

Mr Justice Blake insisted that the Default Retirement Age, which allows employers to terminate workers’ contracts without reason and without paying a redundancy settlement, is compatible with EU directives on age discrimination.

The case was brought by charities Age Concern and Help the Aged. The charities do not intend to appeal as they expect to see a change in the law anyway.

The ruling was welcomed by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) on the extraordinary grounds that fighting tribunal cases brought by sacked employees would be too costly.

Stephen Alambritis, an FSB spokesman, said: “Businesses need a period of stability to allow the recent changes in employment legislation to bed down. They do not want more tinkering with employment rules.”

The FSB’s comments seem to ignore the fact that 1.4 million people already work past retirement age in the UK. Many of these people perform vital tasks for businesses across the country. It is thought that more would continue working if given the choice by their employers.

Similarly, the FSB is leaving itself open to suggestion that it only wishes for tribunal cases to be allowed if it seems clear that they will win them. Comments like those made by Mr Alambritis risk causing further rifts between employees and the country’s largest representative of small business.

BecomingSelfEmployed.co.uk believes that recruitment processes and employment practices should be untainted by ageism. We should not still be having this argument in 2009. The Default Retirement Age is an arbitrary figure hanging over older workers, and denigrates the significant contribution that these individuals make to British business. We encourage the FSB to rethink its contribution, and we look forward to impending changes in these discriminatory laws.

Gordon Brown stepped into the debate on overdraft charges today, suggesting that the banks should seek a settlement “without further delay.”

In a letter to Martin Lewis, editor of MoneySavingExpert, Mr Brown suggested that “a negotiated solution could be in everyone’s best interests,” giving hope to campaigners that the long-running legal battle may soon come to an end.

The major banks are currently fighting a case against the Office of Fair Trading, which claims that charges of up to £39 for bounced cheques or returned direct debits are unfair and illegal.

The case will be one of the first to be heard by the new Supreme Court when it is formally launched next month. Although it is widely thought that the banks will lose the case, it is likely to be many months before customers see any money.

A negotiated settlement would mean that consumers could claim refunds quickly. Several major banks have already given assurances that refunds will be paid automatically in the event that they lose the case.

Two separate studies published today suggest that genetics are to thank (or to blame, depending on your outlook) for the entrepreneurial spirit.

The studies, by Nicolas Nicolaou of Cyprus University and Scott Shane of the Weatherfield School of Management, both seem to show that entrepreneurship is more a case of nature than of nurture.

One study looked at similarities and differences amongst twins. It found that, if one twin demonstrates an entrepreneurial spirit, the other is more likely to do so as well – even if there are significant differences in other aspects of their adult lives.

The other study looked at neurological processes linked with entrepreneurship, finding that they are probably linked to or the same as those related to risk-taking.

Scientists are now planning to attempt to identify the genes responsible.

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Becoming Self Employed aims to provide information to those who have just become self employed, or those who are considering making the transition to self employment.

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