Renting DVDs from Lovefilm was actually still a thing… until Amazon closed it today August 14, 2017 Lovefilm is closing down. Didn’t know it was still around? No, us neither. The DVD rental by post service which was a true success of British tech and the dotcom era has finally been shuttered by Amazon, which acquired the startup in 2011 for £200m. If you’re wondering who might still be using Lovefilm, let [...]
Costs on Gospel Oak to Barking upgrade climb to £172m after delays send original schedule off track August 14, 2017 The cost of the London Overground Gospel Oak to Barking electrification project has climbed to £171.9m, after delays due to incorrect design and late delivery of materials. In papers for a meeting of Transport for London’s (TfL) programmes and investment committee at the end of June, the transport body warned the final cost for the [...]
The CBI aims to drive UK manufacturing to fresh highs as it sets up new council with Ineos director Tom Crotty at the helm August 14, 2017 The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is setting up a manufacturing council in an effort to support the industry. The chief executive-level council will bring together dozens of the UK’s top manufacturers, and will be headed by chemical giant Ineos’ group director Tom Crotty. Crotty said: “A vibrant manufacturing sector is essential to the growth [...]
Big Ben will fall silent from next week until 2021 August 14, 2017 Big Ben’s bongs are being banished for four years as the world’s most iconic clock undergoes vital maintenance. The clock will sound for the last time next Monday before being silenced until 2021, as the Elizabeth Tower, which houses the clock, undergoes renovation work. A parliamentary spokesperson said it was necessary to silence the Great [...]
The NHS is world class – if you ignore its woeful outcomes August 14, 2017 When he described the National Health Service as a religion, Margaret Thatcher’s chancellor Nigel Lawson highlighted a peculiarly irrational aspect of British culture which persists to this day. The widespread fiction that Britain’s healthcare system is somehow uniquely benevolent or successful is in no way helped by selective studies claiming otherwise. The Commonwealth Fund health [...]
Legal & General eyes £10bn Prudential annuity back-book as part of sector dominance push August 13, 2017 Legal & General is ready to pounce on Prudential’s £10bn annuity business, as the FTSE 100 insurer splashes the cash on pension back-books. On Thursday, Prudential announced plans to merge its UK fund management and life insurance arms, forming M&G Prudential. The announcement came as part of yet another quarter of double-digit growth in Prudential’s [...]
Brexit: David Miliband praises chancellor Philip Hammond as he calls for second vote on any deal via referendum or Parliament August 13, 2017 The almost Labour leader and ex-foreign secretary David Miliband has offered reluctant support to the chancellor Philip Hammond over his push for a transition period after Brexit and called for a second vote. “I never thought I would say this, but the chancellor, Philip Hammond, is also playing a valiant role. The transition he supports [...]
Aberdeen Asset Management shares suspended as merger with Standard Life clears final hurdle August 11, 2017 A merger between Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management has been given the green light by the Court of Session in Edinburgh. Abderdeen’s shares on the London Stock Exchange were suspended as of 5pm today. Standard Life became the FTSE 100’s biggest faller, closing down 3.75 per cent. The merger is now all set to [...]
Scouting Silicon Valley: Premier League clubs are on the hunt for digital experts to bolster the boardroom August 11, 2017 Every transfer window brings with it an arms race between Premier League clubs for the world’s top talent, yet this summer teams have been scouting the geniuses of Silicon Valley alongside the goalscorers of La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga. Top European football clubs are increasingly searching for boardroom additions who are equipped to [...]
City of London’s top EU envoy slams “bewildering” Brussels approach to negotiations: The colourful European dispatches of Jeremy Browne revealed August 10, 2017 The City of London’s top Brexit envoy has slammed Brussels’ approach to negotiating with the UK as “bewildering” and “reckless”. Documents seen by City A.M. show former Lib Dem Home Office minister Jeremy Browne, the City of London Corporation’s special representative to the EU, is also fearful that the bloc is “affronted by the idea [...]