‘Constitutional crisis’ as John Bercow blocks another vote on May’s Brexit deal March 18, 2019 Theresa May's bid to win parliamentary approval for her Brexit withdrawal deal has been dealt another dramatic blow after Commons Speaker John Bercow declared he could block any attempt to put the question to MPs again. In a surprise statement, Bercow said he would only allow the government to put its Brexit plan before MPs again [...]
Interserve wins £76m oil and gas contract despite falling into administration days ago March 18, 2019 An Interserve subsidiary has won a $100m (£76m) contract to carry out maintenance on oil and gas sites in Abu Dhabi, days after its parent company was forced into administration. The outsourcer will replace firewater pumps and liquid sulphur loading systems at offshore and onshore sites owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). Read [...]
BMW to make engines for Jim Ratcliffe’s upcoming Land Rover Defender rival March 18, 2019 Car maker BMW has been tasked with supplying the engines for an upcoming rival to the Land Rover Defender built by chemicals giant Ineos. The so-called Project Grenadier will see Ineos, which is owned by Britain’s richest man Jim Ratcliffe, release a four-by-four range onto the market in mid-2021, commercial director Mark Tennant told City [...]
Wage costs grow in Britain amid record high employment rates March 18, 2019 Wage costs in the UK grew 1.7 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2018 from the quarter before, compared to an average of 0.5 per cent quarter on quarter growth over the last 10 years. Wage costs per hour worked in Britain – meaning benefits in kind, wages and salaries – were 3.2 per cent higher in the [...]
Debenhams pressure mounts amid Sports Direct comments March 18, 2019 The war of words between Debenhams and retail tycoon Mike Ashley escalated once again this morning after Sports Direct’s finance chief confirmed City speculation that it would look to buy the department store chain if it collapsed into administration. Sports Direct’s finance chief Chris Wootton, who could potentially become Sports Direct boss if Ashley takes [...]
Pound drops as Commons speaker John Bercow rules out third meaningful vote on same Brexit deal March 18, 2019 House of Commons Speaker John Bercow has ruled out a third meaningful vote on Theresa May's Brexit deal unless it contains "substantial changes". Bercow said the government was now not able to "resubmit the same proposition or substantially the same proposition as that which was rejected" in January and March this year. Making an unexpected statement [...]
Norwegian Air chairman resigns after turbulence hits carrier March 18, 2019 The chairman of Norwegian Air Shuttle will resign his position after a turbulent time at a company. Bjorn Kise said he made the decision to “make room” for new talent. Read more: Norwegian Air to seek compensation for Boeing flight ban Speculation has raged over takeover offers, with British Airways owner IAG ruling out a [...]
Serco continues overseas push as it pens £61m contract to manage Australian remand centre March 18, 2019 Outsourcer Serco has been tasked with managing an Australian remand centre housing hundreds of prisoners, in a deal worth 115m Australian dollars (£61m). The public sector contractor will manage the centre for at least seven years, with a five-year extension option. Read more: Serco seeks to capitalise on Brexit chaos as financial revival continues Serco’s [...]
Widecells calls in Unilad bosses to launch new media marketing firm March 18, 2019 Stem cell firm Widecells has enlisted the help of three former Unilad executives to launch a new media marketing firm as part of a rebrand that will see it renamed to Iconic Labs. John Quinlan, Liam Harrington and Sam Asante will run the new business, which will be focused on providing online marketing, content and [...]
Revamp media regulation to help broadcasters take on Netflix, BBC chairman urges March 18, 2019 The UK’s media regulation must be overhauled to protect public service broadcasters from rivals such as Netflix, the BBC chairman said today. Speaking at the Oxford Media Convention this morning, Sir David Clementi said existing regulation is not fit for the digital age and must be updated to ensure British broadcasters can take on global [...]