General Motors takes stake in British car tracking startup as it looks to driverless future February 12, 2019 US car giant General Motors (GM) is taking a stake in a British technology startup as it prepares for a driverless future. The deal, which values Chester-based Wejo at $275m (£213m), includes a $25m cash injection into the connected cars firm. Read more: General Motors cuts costs with 8,000 redundancies It also gives Wejo access [...]
Green taxes are killing European investment, says Ineos boss Ratcliffe February 12, 2019 Britain's richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe has hit out at “foolish” green taxes which scare investors away from the UK and push them towards the US and China. The Ineos founder said Europe’s insistence on taxing emissions were like a well-intentioned "Charge of the Light Brigade". Read more: Jim Ratcliffe: Government's shale policy is an [...]
May to give MPs vote on Labour workers’ rights plans after Brexit February 12, 2019 Theresa May today pledged to give MPs the power to decide whether the UK should follow EU rules on workers’ rights after Brexit in a bid to win Labour support for her plan. Speaking in the Commons, the Prime Minister doubled down on her commitment to keep high standards relating to employment law, environmental protections and [...]
HMV starts reopening stores as new owner gets landlords to the negotiating table February 12, 2019 HMV has reopened a store at the Bluewater shopping centre in Kent as the company's new owner fights to revive its presence in London and the south east. The Bluewater HMV opened its doors to customers on Tuesday morning, a week after it was shuttered along with several other HMVs across London. Read more: Revealed: These [...]
Interserve rescue plan: Shareholder rebellion grows as dissenting hedge fund recruits another supporter February 12, 2019 The hedge fund trying to thwart Interserve's rescue deal designed to avoid it facing the same fate as Carillion has attracted the support of another major shareholder. Last week Coltrane Asset Management, a 27 per cent shareholder in the firm, launched a bid to oust all members of the outsourcer's board except chief executive Debbie [...]
You couldn’t make it up! The rise of the ‘robo-writer’ February 12, 2019 A recent news story about political donations to Australia’s political parties isn’t normally something to grab my attention, but this brief article in the Guardian did – thanks to its byline. The reporter was a robot called “Reporter Mate”. The robot ‒ or experimental automated news reporting system, as Guardian Australia calls it ‒ is [...]
Chris Grayling accused of ‘misleading’ parliament over money spent on ferry contracts February 12, 2019 Embattled transport secretary Chris Grayling faced another round of calls to resign yesterday over accusations he may have misled parliament in saying no taxpayer money was spent on the government's Brexit ferry contracts. Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald today issued a point of order in the House of Commons over Grayling's statement that "we are [...]
State will not give back control of G4S ‘war zone’ prison until summer February 12, 2019 A G4S prison that was in a state of crisis so acute the government had to step in and take back control last summer will not be given back to the firm for another six months, after concerns it remains too “fragile” to do so. HMP Birmingham was seized from the contractor in August when [...]
Government blocks Cuadrilla from fracking at second site in Lancashire February 12, 2019 British fracking was dealt another blow today as the government blocked Cuadrilla’s attempts to open a new drilling site in Lancashire. Local government secretary James Brokenshire said he would not overturn the local council’s decision to refuse planning permission at the Roseacre Wood site. Read more: Cuadrilla's request for earthquake review falls on deaf ears [...]
Law helping businesses receive insurance payouts after terror attacks passed February 12, 2019 Companies will be able to more easily buy insurance for business interruption in the case of terrorist attacks following the passing of a new law today. The passing of the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, which received Royal Assent today, followed an outcry in the aftermath of the London Bridge attacks where businesses [...]