Entrepreneurs and tech leaders urge chancellor to give startups business rate exemption in Spring Budget March 7, 2017 Entrepreneurs and tech leaders are urging the chancellor Philip Hammond to exempt newly created companies from business rates, adding their voice to a growing chorus of anger at the burden of an imminent rise in costs, and calls for reform. A three-year exemption would give startups breathing space and a chance to find their feet while [...]
Retail sales fell in February as non-food retail sales decline for first time since 2011 according to early indicator March 7, 2017 Retail sales fell in February as non-food purchases recorded their first quarterly decline in more than five years, a survey ahead of official data shows. Like-for-like sales fell by 0.4 per cent compared to February 2016, according to the retail sales monitor reported by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG, despite food sales rising [...]
BT must innovate to win over more football fans and justify its lavish £1.2bn outlay on Champions League rights March 7, 2017 The business of football TV rights used to be relatively simple. There were rights to show live games, and rights to show highlights. For years, Sky dominated the live market, crushing a series of challengers with its financial fire-power and superior coverage. Highlights were often reserved for traditional free-to-air TV channels such as ITV and [...]
Former Tesco finance chief Laurie McIlwee to join the board of Giraffe restaurant chain and Ed’s Easy Diner parent group March 7, 2017 A former Tesco finance chief is poised to join the board of the restaurant group that owns the likes of Giraffe and Ed’s Easy Diner, according to reports. Laurie McIlwee has been appointed executive chairman of Boparan Restaurant Group, Sky News reported, months after being cleared of any involvement in Tesco’s 2014 profit overstatement scandal. Read [...]
Heathrow launches supply chain tour to reach out to more small businesses ahead of third runway expansion March 7, 2017 Heathrow is seeking to bolster its supply chain with small and medium-sized businesses to help deliver its expansion plans for the third runway. The UK's biggest airport will host six business summits across the UK this year to appeal to more small British firms and give them insight into Heathrow's major suppliers to help them win [...]
Most entertainment is consumed online through access services and is not owned outright March 7, 2017 Britons now spend almost 80 per cent of their total expenditure on entertainment online and are increasingly consuming it via access services such as Spotify and mobile apps like Pokemon Go. Data from the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA), which represents retailers and digital services offering music, video and games, shows that 27.6 per cent of [...]
Former chancellor Norman Lamont warns Brexit is “under attack” March 6, 2017 A former Conservative chancellor has warned that Brexit is “under attack”, calling on the House of Lords to “see sense”. Lord Lamont said yesterday that Prime Minister Theresa May should be allowed to begin official negotiations as soon as possible. Lamont, who supported exiting the EU, served as chancellor under John Major between 1990 and 1993, [...]
Standard Life-Aberdeen deal expected to spark M&A flurry in asset management industry March 6, 2017 Standard Life (SL) and Aberdeen Asset Management’s £11bn merger is expected to prompt a flurry of fund management consolidation, industry experts said yesterday. The companies’ share prices rocketed after they confirmed the terms of their deal, despite City uncertainty over plans for Keith Skeoch and Martin Gilbert to be co-chief executives. Read more: Standard Life [...]
Former Labour home secretary brands proposed new solicitors’ exam a potential matter of “national concern” March 6, 2017 A former Labour home secretary said today proposed changes to qualifying exams for solicitors should be treated as a matter of national concern. Both Lord Blunkett and Lord Low of Dalston, the latter of whom brought the question forward for debate in the House of Lords, argued the Solicitors Qualifying Exam put forward by the Solicitors [...]
Government cannot intervene to safeguard Vauxhall jobs, say experts March 6, 2017 The UK government is powerless to challenge or influence PSA’s merger with the owner of Vauxhall from a legal perspective, experts have said. The owner of Peugeot and Citroen revealed this morning it had reached an agreement with General Motors (GM) to merge European operations in a deal that values the combined business at €2.2bn [...]