Food prices increased at their fastest rate since 2013 in March April 3, 2019 The weekly supermarket shop hit bank accounts a little harder last month as food prices rose at their sharpest rate in five years in March. Food inflation accelerated last month to 2.5 per cent, up from 1.6 per cent in February. This is the highest inflation rate November 2013. The data out today from the [...]
Fast rollout of 5G could add £16bn to the UK economy by 2025, says Barclays April 3, 2019 High-speed 5G mobile technology could add £15.7bn per year in business revenue to the UK economy by 2025, a new report has revealed. The figure would apply in an ‘optimistic scenario’, where the rollout of the new network is accelerated and met with fast uptake by businesses and consumers, according to research by Barclays Corporate [...]
The European Union is on the backfoot, but few seem to notice April 2, 2019 There is a very bad habit that many of our broadcasters have of focusing on what might befall us. It reminds me of Frankie Howerd in Up Pompeii bemoaning “woe is me, woe is me” – as if he might warn his master against leaving the Empire without a deal. It would be refreshing were there [...]
Brexiter fury as Theresa May seeks deal with Labour on EU withdrawal April 2, 2019 Theresa May has ignited a furious war with her own party as she announced a plan to work with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to deliver a soft Brexit. Conservative MPs claimed she had “handed control to a man who is not fit to run a whelk stall" as she called for talks with Corbyn to strike [...]
Daily-Mail backed laundry app set to merge with German rival April 2, 2019 A British online dry cleaner is set to merge with its Berlin-based rival Zipjet as the two firms bid for domination in London. Laudrapp has agreed to pay just over £17.5m for the German company which has operations in London, Berlin and Paris, Sky News reported. Read more: Deutsche Bank denies reports it could raise [...]
FCA tells Nicky Morgan London Capital & Finance probe ‘in the public interest’ April 2, 2019 Britain’s financial watchdog has rebuffed claims it was forced to investigate its own regulation of collapsed mini-bond firm London Capital & Finance (LC&F). Chairman of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Charles Randell said this afternoon the regulator chose investigate itself after LC&F’s collapse because of “the broader public interest questions which arise in relation to [...]
Court gears up to hear Andrew Tinkler defamation claims against Stobart directors April 2, 2019 Former Stobart chief Andrew Tinkler will launch his claim for defamation against five of the company's directors in court tomorrow, reigniting what has been a bitter battle. Tinkler, who was fired from the Stobart board last July, claims a statement put out by the FTSE 250 firm last May contained "false and defamatory material" about him. The statement, [...]
Superdry board in mass resignation as Dunkerton takes the reins April 2, 2019 Superdry suffered a boardroom exodus tonight after the troubled retailer’s co-founder won an audacious bid to reinstall himself onto the firm’s board. In a shock move this evening, Superdry’s entire board – including its chief executive and chairman – revealed plans to step down after Julian Dunkerton won an investor vote which will see him [...]
Independent cafe chain loses £250,000 from disposable cup ban April 2, 2019 Bristol-based cafe chain Boston Tea Party (BTP) lost £250,000 in takeaway coffee sales after it banned disposable cups from its stores, the company confirmed today. The cafe made headlines last June when it banned single use coffee cups in its 21 branches in England, thought to be a first for a UK chain. Read more: The rubbish [...]
George Osborne tax scheme gave ‘unjustified preferential treatment’ to multinational companies April 2, 2019 The European Commission (EC) has found a UK scheme gave tax breaks to some multinational companies illegally, and has ordered Britain to recover the money from firms that benefited. Officials in Brussels said on Tuesday they found the scheme, first introduced in 2012, gave tax breaks to the firms under the guise of state aid. [...]