Beleaguered audit watchdog boss may be forced out within weeks, says senior MP November 13, 2018 Stephen Haddrill, the beleaguered boss of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) may be forced to resign within weeks after a report into the widely-criticised audit sector regulator is released, a top Labour MP has said. Rachel Reeves, chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Select Committee, said Haddrill, who has announced his intention [...]
Interview: Rachel Reeves drags audit into the light November 13, 2018 Rachel Reeves doesn’t fit the typical mould of a select committee chair. Where her counterparts leverage their positions of parliamentary power to try to forcibly move their party’s position (see Nicky Morgan), or to launch populist crusades to fix society’s ills (see Damian Collins), Reeves has taken a less attention-seeking approach to the chair, and [...]
Former Stobart boss Tinkler denies £5m expenses were claimed improperly November 12, 2018 Former Stobart Group chief executive Andrew Tinkler today denied accusations he improperly claimed £5m in expenses when he was head of the infrastructure firm. In the first day of a High Court trial centring on whether Tinkler was unfairly dismissed, lawyers for Tinkler said the claim that he breached his duties in claiming £5m of [...]
Not all foreign criminals should be deported – the case of Kweku Adoboli reveals a system that is too draconian November 12, 2018 Foreign criminals should be deported when they have served their sentences – this is effectively the government’s position, and one that remains popular with voters. On the face of it, the policy seems entirely reasonable; why should the UK show clemency to people who arrive on these shores and commit crimes against our citizens? And [...]
MPs launch inquiry into future of ‘broken’ audit sector November 12, 2018 A powerful parliamentary committee will launch an inquiry into the “broken” audit market today, aimed at ensuring an ongoing competition probe ends the “overwhelming market domination” of the Big Four. Labour MP Rachel Reeves will announce the inquiry – by the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Select Committee which she chairs – during a [...]
Deloitte calls for audit market cap and ban on selling extra services to audit clients November 8, 2018 Two of the world’s biggest accountancy firms have backed a ban on UK auditors selling extra services to their audit clients, setting the stage for a huge shift in the embattled sector. Deloitte and KPMG – two members of audit’s Big Four – have backed the move, which would potentially put hundreds of millions in fee income [...]
Dyson welcomes EU court battle victory that defeats ‘anti-competitive’ vacuum cleaner regulation November 8, 2018 Household appliance maker Dyson successfully overturned EU regulation on the energy labelling of vacuum cleaners today after a lengthy legal battle. The British manufacturer argued tests to establish the energy efficiency of vacuum cleaners were misleading. Billionaire James Dyson's company said the test, which calculates efficiency when vacuum dust bags are empty, discriminated against its own bagless products. [...]
Azerbaijani woman who spent £16m in Harrods granted bail by High Court November 8, 2018 A woman who spent £16m at Harrods and is fighting extradition to Azerbaijan has been released on bail following her arrest last week on embezzlement charges. Zamira Hajiyeva, the wife of an Azerbaijan banker who is serving a 15-year prison sentence in their home country, is the subject of the UK's first Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO), a new [...]
KPMG will halt non-audit work on FTSE 350 clients in wake of Carillion November 8, 2018 KPMG is set to become the first of the so-called Big Four to cease all non-audit work for FTSE 350 clients in the wake of Carillion. The auditor will stop providing all but some essential non-audit services for the 90 FTSE 350 customers whose accounts it audits, it has told 625 UK partners in a [...]
In a rare move, HMRC is refunding some parents who were liable for the child benefit charge – here’s what you need to know November 8, 2018 It is unusual for HMRC to admit that it has been too heavy-handed, so last week came as a welcome surprise to many parents who have been hit with fines in relation to child benefits. If you are responsible for bringing up a child under 16 (or under 20 if they are in education), you [...]