Chris Grayling defends decision to award £13.8m Brexit ferries contract to firm with no ships January 2, 2019 Transport secretary Chris Grayling has defended the controversial decision to award a £13m contract to a firm that has never run ships in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Grayling has come under fire for awarding Seaborne Freight the £13.8m contract after it emerged it has never run ferries before. Speaking to the BBC, Grayling said: [...]
Debenhams share price plunges as investors fear disappointing Christmas trading January 2, 2019 Shares in Debenhams plunged almost nine per cent this morning amid fears of poor trading over the festive period. The department store chain saw its share price tumble to 4.68p on the first day of trading in 2019, ahead of an update due on 10 January. The sliding shares suggest investors have low expectations for [...]
Apsley and Oxshott top London’s commuter town rankings after today’s rail fare price hike January 2, 2019 Hertfordshire's Apsley has been named London's cheapest town for City commuters, after the UK today hiked up rail fares by 3.1 per cent and hit the capital's train riders the hardest. In an analysis of house prices, mortgage payments, the cost of a rail season ticket and journey duration, Apsley won out in costing the [...]
Brexit stockpiling helps UK manufacturing hit six-month high January 2, 2019 Manufacturers are in an “edgy mood” despite Brexit stockpiling and other preparations pushing the sector to a six-month high amid concerns of a global slowdown, according to a closely followed measure of industry activity. Businesses stockpiling raw materials and goods at near-record rates to mitigate supply chain disruptions as Britain leaves the EU accounted for [...]
First-time buyer mortgage approvals hit 10-year high despite higher UK house prices January 2, 2019 First-time buyer mortgage approvals hit their highest level in more than 10 years in 2018, the latest data shows. An estimated 367,038 first-time buyers took out mortgages last year, up from 362,800 in 2017, according to analysis from Yorkshire Building Society using UK Finance figures. The number exceeded 2007 levels, when 359,000 first-time buyers secured mortgages, [...]
Iceland to fight £21m claim that it pays staff less than the national minimum wage January 2, 2019 Iceland could be hit with a £21m fine after HM Revenue and Customs ruled that its Christmas savings scheme technically results in staff being paid less than the national minimum wage. The supermarket disputes the finding, which relates to a scheme whereby the company allows employees to voluntarily set aside money from their weekly wages over [...]
Netflix comes under fire for removing comedy episode critical of Saudi prince January 2, 2019 Netflix has pulled an episode of a comedy show that criticised Saudi Arabia after complaints from the country’s regime, sparking fears over freedom of expression in the kingdom. The online streaming service removed an episode of the standup show Patriot Act in which host Hasan Minhaj criticised Saudi Arabia over the murder of journalist Jamal [...]
Luxury slippers brand Mahabis falls into administration January 2, 2019 Upmarket footwear brand Mahabis has entered administration after four years of trading, the company has confirmed. The luxury slippers maker called in administrators KRE on 27 December, despite selling almost 1m pairs of slippers in more than 100 countries. Mahabis described itself as “desperately disappointed” at the news. The online retailer – which targeted millenials [...]
Rail fares rise by 3.1 per cent as commuters stage protests at train stations across the UK January 2, 2019 Rail fares increased by an average of 3.1 per cent today despite commuters suffering a year of travel chaos in 2018. Passengers are set to stage a national protest at the hike today, which will see many rail season tickets increase by more than £100. Commuters, rail union leaders and politicians are expected to protest [...]
Man arrested in Germany as car driven into crowd on New Year’s Eve January 1, 2019 A man has been arrested in northern Germany after driving his car into a crowd, injuring four, in a suspected racist attack. The man fled the scene in the northwestern town Bottrop on New Year’s Eve and made racist comments when he was arrested, police said in a statement. Syrians and Afghans are among the injured, police [...]