Intelligence agency National Cyber Security Centre is working with Dixons Carphone on huge data breach June 13, 2018 The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ, said today it is working with Dixons Carphone on mitigation measures, after the retailer said it was investigating a data breach involving 5.9m payment cards and 1.2m personal data records. The company announced earlier on that there was an attempt to compromise 5.9m cards in one [...]
British Business Bank seeds new £2.5bn patient capital investment fund with £400m June 13, 2018 The British Business Bank (BBB) has today launched a £2.5bn programme with £400m of seed capital as part of an effort to match the US in creating the next generation of "unicorn" firms. The newly launched British Patient Capital (BCP) will be a subsidiary of the government-owned BBB, with the aim of providing long-term finance [...]
Thursday’s 24-hour Tube strike has been called off, as talks between unions and TfL are suspended June 13, 2018 A 24-hour Tube strike on the Jubilee line due to be held on Thursday has been called off, due to a row over timetable changes between theTransport for London (TfL) and the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union. Two previous 24-hour walkouts, organised by both RMT and train drivers' union Aslef and set for 6 [...]
Dixons Carphone announces investigation into data breach with millions of records accessed June 13, 2018 Shares in Dixons Carphone fell more than three per cent this morning after it announced the launch of an investigation finding there had been "unauthorised access to certain data" held by the company. The company said the probe was continuing, but it had found that there was an attempt to compromise 5.9m cards in one [...]
Labour’s shadow chancellor John McDonnell admits party is “walking a tightrope” on Brexit June 13, 2018 Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has admitted Labour is "walking a tightrope" on Brexit, calling for people outside the Westminster bubble to start making their voices heard. The Labour frontbencher said he was "worried by the experience of the last 24 hours", referring to the debate and series of votes on the EU Withdrawal Bill yesterday, [...]
A sovereign wealth fund could diffuse the UK’s debt timebomb June 13, 2018 There’s a hint of sunshine peeping out from behind the grey clouds of austerity. After eight long years of belt-tightening, we’re living within our means at last. Our taxes cover our day-to-day spending on things like health, education, policing and defence, so we’re only having to borrow to invest in long-term infrastructure like roads and [...]
Beyond the bank: Are we asking the right finance questions for SMEs? June 13, 2018 The term “squeezed middle” is often used in the context of the UK economy, and it’s true of our mid-sized growth businesses too. We speak to these companies daily, and we know intimately the numerous places they’re feeling the pressure. But there needn’t be a squeeze on their options to grow. The OECD ranks Britain [...]
Competition watchdog flags concerns over media intelligence merger between Nielsen and Ebiquity June 13, 2018 The proposed merger of marketing consultancies Ebiquity and Nielsen has sparked concerns from the competition watchdog. Nielsen and Ebiquity monitor the advertising habits of companies and are the only suppliers of this intelligence across the UK media. Ebiquity announced in February that it wanted to sell its advertising division to Nielsen. The Competition and Markets [...]
Don’t get caught up in your mortgage lender’s game of Space Invaders June 13, 2018 You might be familiar with Space Invaders – the computer game where you have to shoot aliens. According to UK Finance, that retro 70s game resembles the challenge that lenders face in the interest-only mortgage market. That is, once lenders have recouped cash from the easy targets (or borrowers), they then have to take [...]
Gatwick airport unveils £1.1bn five-year plan to ramp up growth without expansion June 13, 2018 Gatwick is finding alternative ways to tackle its capacity problem, announcing a new five-year plan that will pump an extra £1.1bn worth of investment into the airport. Gatwick, the UK’s second largest airport, said it expected passenger numbers to reach 53 million by 2023. It has repeatedly asked to be able to build a third [...]