Banking challenger Starling Bank set to raise up to £80m in fresh fintech funding, with its eyes set on the £120m RBS prize May 30, 2018 Digital banking challenger Starling Bank is set to raise up to £80m in funding this year after its initial projections have fallen short, as it eyes up a slice of the RBS state aid fund and abandons an earlier partnership with fintech unicorn Transferwise. Starling was rumoured to be seeking £40m in funding in September [...]
British beer sales declined in the first quarter May 30, 2018 British beer sales fell in the first quarter of 2018, returning to decline after a burst of popularity last year. Sales fell 1.7 per cent in the three months to March, though this was against a tough comparaitve of 3.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2017. Last year’s rise marked the first time [...]
Bank of England bitcoin rival would “strengthen” effects of monetary policy changes May 30, 2018 A central bank-run digital currency to rival cryptocurrencies such bitcoin and ethereum could make monetary policy changes a more effective tool, according to Bank of England research. The Bank has recently released a flurry of research weighing the potential risks and benefits of central bank digital currency (CBDC), with the potential to revolutionise monetary policy. [...]
Southend airport owner Stobart’s broker Cenkos has resigned following a Woodford-backed boardroom row May 30, 2018 Stobart, the owner of London Southend Airport, has seen its broker resign this morning amid a heated boardroom battle. Broker Cenkos has stepped down as it is understood to have a long-standing relationship with Andrew Tinkler, the former boss of Stobart who is attempting to oust chairman Iain Ferguson. City A.M. understands that Cenkos did [...]
Drones could add £42bn to UK economy by 2030 with more than a third to be in the public sector, says PwC report May 30, 2018 Drone technology could increase UK GDP by two per cent, or £42bn, by 2030, with more than a third of new drones to be utilised by the public sector, says new research from PwC. The report estimates that there will be more than 76,000 drones in use across the UK by that time, with public [...]
OECD upgrades UK economic growth forecast but warns of global reliance on cheap money May 30, 2018 The influential Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) today upgraded its forecast for UK economic growth but warned that strong global growth is reliant on economic policy rather than sought-after productivity improvements. The British economy will expand by 1.4 per cent this year before slowing to 1.3 per cent in 2019, according to forecasts [...]
SSE hits more than two million customers with energy price hike May 30, 2018 ‘Big six’ energy company SSE has increased prices for more than two million customers. The price hike, effective from 11 July, will lead to standard dual fuel customers paying an average of 6.7 per cent more for their energy. That means customers with typical dual fuel bills will pay £76 more per year. Read more: [...]
Daimler takes stake in Uber rival Taxify as cab-hailing app reaches $1bn unicorn status May 30, 2018 Uber rival Taxify has reached unicorn status thanks to the completion of $175m funding round led by vehicle giant Daimler. Uber’s European rival is now valued at $1bn following the round which also involved TMT Investments, European venture capital fund Korelya Capital, TransferWise’s co-founder Taavet Hinrikus and Chinese taxi-hailing app Didi Chuxing. In acquiring a [...]
The Gym Group founder John Treharne steps down as chief executive with chief financial officer taking the reins May 30, 2018 The Gym Group’s founder John Treharne is stepping down as chief executive in September, the company announced this morning. He will be succeeded by The Gym Group’s chief financial officer Richard Darwin from 17 September. Treharne will remain on the board as founder director, but steps down from the helm to leave “more time for [...]
Tax increases for the NHS are the last refuge of the unimaginative May 30, 2018 The staff at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) are the best public finance number-crunchers in the UK. But last Thursday they delivered a baffling statement, claiming there was simply “no more room” to increase health spending in future by reallocating resources from other government budgets. The implication for funding the NHS is that over [...]