West End retailers go to town on promotions to ensure expected £150m Black Friday boost November 21, 2018 Retail sales on London’s busiest shopping streets are expected to see a £150m boost over the Black Friday weekend amid challenging conditions on the high street, according to a trade group representing retailers in the area. Sales are expected to equal those of last year among around 600 retailers on Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street, [...]
Ofgem to help over 100,000 customers as another energy supplier goes bust November 21, 2018 Ofgem has said it will step to ensure a smooth transition for customers as yet another small energy provider went out of business today, the sixth this year. Customers of Extra Energy will be protected by the regulator’s safety net, it said. The company’s 108,000 domestic and 21,000 business customers have been told not to switch [...]
Bombardier slashes hundreds of Belfast jobs in cost cutting drive November 21, 2018 Aerospace manufacturer Bombardier is to axe 490 jobs in Belfast as it scrambles to cut costs and streamline its operations. The aerospace firm had indicated earlier this month that UK jobs may be at risk as it announced 5,000 worldwide redundancies, most of those in Canada, where it is based. Bombardier said following the announcement [...]
BMW wins licence to launch ride-hailing Uber competitor in China November 21, 2018 BMW has been awarded a licence to launch a ride-hailing firm in China in December, making it the first global car manufacturer to enter the competitive market. Operating under the name BMW Mobility Service, BMW said its licence has been granted for initial operations in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. The Chinese market is [...]
Labour could form minority government without a general election, says John McDonnell November 21, 2018 Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has said Labour could form a minority government without a general election if Theresa May's Brexit deal is voted down in parliament. His comments mark a change of tack for the Labour leadership, which has been arguing for a fresh general election in the face of Brexit uncertainty. Speaking at a [...]
Theresa May heads to Brussels to finalise Brexit deal with EU officials ahead of European leaders summit November 21, 2018 Theresa May will head to Brussels today to meet with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in a bid to finalise a Brexit deal ahead of an EU leaders summit on Sunday. Last week’s publication of a draft agreement sparked outrage among MPs and led to the resignations of Brexit secretary Dominic Raab and work and [...]
OECD: Global growth slows due to US-China trade war and political uncertainty November 21, 2018 Trade conflicts and political uncertainty have sparked a global growth slowdown, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's latest economic outlook. The OECD lowered its forecasts for 2019, saying global GDP would grow 3.5 per cent, down from its previous forecast of 3.7 per cent, and that growth in 2020 would remain at 3.5 [...]
Bet365’s billionaire boss Denise Coates pockets massive £265m payout November 21, 2018 The chief executive of online bookie Bet365 Denise Coates took home £265m last year after giving herself a £21m pay rise. The billionaire businesswoman pocketed a salary of £220m, an increase from £199m last year and roughly a third of Bet365’s total profits for the year to the end of March, according to the company’s accounts. Coates, [...]
Lloyd’s of London chief operating officer to leave as exec churn continues November 21, 2018 The chief operating officer of insurance market Lloyd’s of London has resigned, continuing the stream of exits from its top team. Lloyd’s said today that operations chief and executive committee member Shirine Khoury-Haq had resigned, with plans to leave the insurance market in the first half of 2019. Khoury-Haq, who had been with Lloyd’s for [...]
Ofgem to tighten rules for new energy suppliers to protect consumers from bankruptcies November 21, 2018 Ofgem will make it more difficult for new suppliers to enter the energy market after a string of bankruptcies and complaints over poor customer service. The energy regulator has proposed rules which would force new players to show they have enough resources to operate for at least a year. Fresh suppliers will also be asked to [...]