Serco tried to merge with struggling Babcock June 16, 2019 Outsourcing giant Serco has tried twice to merge with its considerably bigger rival Babcock as they both grapple with a tough industry. Serco’s chair, Sir Roy Gardner, reportedly contacted Mike Turner, who heads Babcock’s board, at the end of 2018. Turner rejected the proposal, the Sunday Times reported. However, this did not stop Serco from [...]
Jeremy Hunt says he would be prepared to delay Brexit past October June 16, 2019 Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt has said he would be prepared to delay Brexit, saying he would not commit to “a 31 October hard stop at any costs”. The Tory leadership hopeful also could not promise that Brexit would be delivered by the end of this year. Read more: Liam Fox backs foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt [...]
Second home ownership soars towards the value of £1 trillion June 15, 2019 The number of British people owning a second home has soared by more than 50 per cent since 2001 as the value of additional property wealth nears £1 trillion, according to a new report. Research from think tank the Resolution Foundation revealed that 5.5 million people – around one in ten of the UK population [...]
Boris Johnson shirks Channel 4 TV debate but is ‘more than happy’ to appear on BBC version June 14, 2019 Boris Johnson has said he will not attend Channel 4’s TV debate on Sunday, despite pressure from other candidates in the race to replace Theresa May as Prime Minister. The former foreign secretary has, however, confirmed that he will take part in the BBC’s debate on Tuesday night. Read more: You’re hired: Lord Sugar backs [...]
Julian Assange extradition hearing set for February 2020 June 14, 2019 A full hearing to decide whether Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange should be extradited to the US on spying charges had been set for February next year, a London court has ruled. Australian-born Assange faces 18 counts in the US, including conspiring to hack government computers and violating espionage law. He denies the charges. Read more: [...]
You’re hired: Lord Sugar backs Boris Johnson to be next PM June 14, 2019 Lord Sugar has thrown his weight behind Boris Johnson to be the next Prime Minister, saying he can “stop Jeremy Corbyn from being PM”. Johnson is already guaranteed in a place in the run off between the final two candidates after he secured 114 votes in the first round. Read more: Boris Johnson says ‘long [...]
Change UK co-founder Chuka Umunna joins the Lib Dems June 14, 2019 Former Labour MP Chuka Ummuna has joined the Liberal Democrats just months after helping set up the troubled Independent Group for Change. The MP for Streatham, who left Change UK recently, was one of a number of politicians who left Labour and the Tories in February in protest at the two main parties’ handling of [...]
Editor’s Notes: Canary Wharf is still the place to meat June 13, 2019 We live in interesting times. A few years ago, who would have expected vegan sausage rolls to fly off Greggs’ heated shelves, or for KFC to announce a new vegan “chicken” burger called The Imposter? Veganism is alive and well… but not so much at the Canary Wharf branch of Boisdale this week, where the [...]
Eddie Jones to stay on as England head coach until 2021 as RFU backtrack on succession plans June 13, 2019 Since taking over in May, the Rugby Football Union’s new chief executive, Bill Sweeney, has been busy. With a World Cup just four months away, he has also had to contend with proposals for the Six Nations, a potential World Rugby Nations Championship, and the future of England’s coaching team. Here are five key insights [...]
Change UK switches name for third time after clash with petition site June 13, 2019 Beleaguered political party Change UK – The Independent Group has been forced to change its name for the third time following a legal challenge from campaigning website Change.org. The party, which lost six of its 11 MPs earlier in the month following disastrous European elections results, announced yesterday that it had signed a legal agreement [...]