HS2 needs a radical rethink to give Britain better connectivity – CityAM : CityAM September 5, 2019 HS2 has never had an easy ride. Fiercely opposed from the beginning by MPs from all parties, it has been lucky to survive up until now. Following the news this week that its budget is to increase by another £22bn and it will delayed by seven years, the prognosis looks terminal.Clearly, HS2 should not go ahead [...]
Woodford Trust and Metro Bank kicked from FTSE 250 list September 4, 2019 Neil Woodford’s investment trust and high street lender Metro Bank have been booted out of the FTSE 250 list of the 101st to the 350th largest listed companies in Britain. Read more: Ally quits Neil Woodford’s trust Also kicked from the list were retailer Ted Baker and shopping centre owner Intu Holdings, whose market capitalisations [...]
PM’s election plan scuppered as Labour holds out until Halloween September 4, 2019 The Prime Minister has claimed Labour is running scared after losing yet another vote, this time on whether to hold an election. Facing the house after it was revealed he had failed to secure the required two-thirds majority for an election, Boris Johnson told MPs he could “only speculate as to the reasons” opposition leader [...]
‘The house has spoken’ Benn bill passes – and shock amendment September 4, 2019 MPs voted to demand the Prime Minister requests an extension to Brexit tonight – but with a surprise amendment passing by mistake. The Benn bill passed its third reading by 327 votes to 299 – a majority of 28. An amendment put forward by Stephen Kinnock, to bring the Withdrawal Bill agreed under Theresa May [...]
Ryanair pilots to strike for another seven days in September September 4, 2019 Ryanair pilots have announced a further seven days of strike days in the ongoing running spat with the airline over pay and working conditions. Ryanair pilots who are members of the British Airline Pilots’ Association (Balpa) will strike on 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27 and 29 September. Read more: Ryanair flights continue as normal [...]
Love Island stars describe struggles after show as MPs probe reality TV September 4, 2019 Two former Love Island contestants have told MPs about their struggles in dealing with life in the spotlight after leaving the ITV show. Yewande Biala and Marcel Somerville appeared in front of a parliamentary committee today as part of a government probe into reality TV and broadcasters’ duty of care. Read more: Ofcom sets out [...]
Berlusconi’s Mediaset approves merger despite backlash from shareholder Vivendi September 4, 2019 Mediaset, the media empire controlled by former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, will merge its businesses into a pan-European powerhouse after fending off a shareholder revolt. The broadcaster will combine its operations in Italy and Spain into a Dutch-listed holding company called Media for Europe as it looks to take on streaming rivals such as [...]
UBS cuts global growth outlook as US-China trade war bites September 4, 2019 UBS cut its outlook for global growth today, as trade war tensions weighed on the Swiss bank’s optimism for the year ahead. World growth is projected to grow by 2.5 per cent in the coming quarters, falling from a previous estimate of 3.2 per cent, as UBS cited the ongoing trade dispute between Washington, D.C. [...]
Cathay Pacific chair John Slosar resigns amid Hong Kong controversy September 4, 2019 The chairman of Cathay Pacific John Slosar has stepped down from his role and will be replaced by Patrick Healy. The Hong-based airline has been embroiled in controversies relating to the widespread pro-democracy protests in the city and has come under pressure from Chinese authorities to suspend staff who participate in the demonstrations. Read more: Cathay [...]
British pound soars after Boris Johnson suffers Brexit blow September 4, 2019 The pound soared against the dollar in early trading today after MPs left Boris Johnson’s Brexit strategy in tatters last night. Sterling climbed 0.62 per cent against the USD dollar to hit $1.2163 after 21 Tory MPs rebelled against the Prime Minister in a vote that could force him to seek a Brexit extension. Read [...]