Brexit-backing Tories are running out of road March 6, 2019 Next week, MPs will be asked to vote (again) on the government's proposed Brexit deal. While Theresa May's team attempts to woo Labour MPs with offers of cash for poor areas and commitments on workers' rights, the attorney general and Brexit secretary have been in Brussels, frantically trying to win concessions on the thorny Irish [...]
Crossrail boss refuses to give railway opening date but ‘very much wants’ 2020 launch March 6, 2019 Crossrail's new chief executive has refused to confirm any date for when the railway will open, saying only that the company "very, very much wants to get this done in 2020". Addressing Westminster's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today, Mark Wild said Crossrail's next update, due in April, would provide a "window" of opening dates rather [...]
Three directors to leave Barclays board as bank faces threat from activist investor Ed Bramson March 6, 2019 THREE directors will leave Barclays in May, the bank said today, as it looks to fight off activist investor Ed Bramson’s bid for a seat on the board. The bank said Mike Turner, former chief executive of BAE Systems, would step down as the arrival of new chairman Nigel Higgins “presented an opportunity to review [...]
There are plenty of reasons for investors to be optimistic about China March 6, 2019 Since the election of Donald Trump, one story has dominated global markets news: the trade war between China and the US. As negotiations reached a critical phase last month, markets fluctuated as setbacks led to breakthroughs, only for talks to stall again. But while investors are right to worry about currents of protectionism in the world’s [...]
Short sellers tailing off at Pets at Home March 6, 2019 In a rare sign of City confidence in the struggling high street, short sellers have been backing off the recently targeted retail giant Pets at Home. Last year hedge funds were vigorously targeting the leading pet care business, which spooked investors when it posted an 80 per cent crash in profits and vet practice closure [...]
Fearless girl statue who faced down Wall Street bull comes to London Stock Exchange March 6, 2019 The “fearless girl” statue, which was was installed on Wall Street in 2017 facing down the statue of a charging bull, has come to London to mark international women’s day. The bronze statue was installed today in Paternoster Square against the backdrop of St Paul’s Cathedral and adjacent to the London Stock Exchange. Read more: High-earning [...]
Activist investor strikes upbeat tone as Just Eat interim boss rules himself out of the race March 6, 2019 A major Just Eat shareholder who has pressed the company to merge with a rival today welcomed the takeaway giant’s interim boss decision to rule himself out of the race for a permanent chief executive. Activist investor Cat Rock Capital Management, which owns a 1.7 per cent stake in Just Eat, said today that it appreciated Peter [...]
Police evacuate Glasgow and Essex universities after reports of suspicious packages March 6, 2019 Universities in Essex and Glasgow have been partly evacuated today as police investigate reports of suspicious packages. Read more: Police investigating explosives at Waterloo and City and Heathrow Airports The evacuations come after police found IEDs at two London airports and a train station yesterday. Essex Police said: “We have received a call today about [...]
Uber avoids criminal liability following fatal self-driving car collision March 6, 2019 Uber has been cleared of liability by a US court after one of its self-driving cars struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona in March. A letter from the Yavapai County attorney, made public today, said there was “no basis for criminal liability” for Uber, but that the back-up driver, Rafaela Vasquez, should be referred [...]
Aon drops plans to pursue Willis Towers Watson merger March 6, 2019 AON has scrapped plans to strike a merger deal with rival broker Willis Towers Watson, ending a day of fevered speculation over what could have resulted in the insurance sector’s largest ever tie-up. Just 24 hours after Aon first confirmed that it was in the early stages of weighing up an all-stock offer for Irish-based Willis [...]