Celebrity farmer Jeremy Clarkson urges govt to ‘ban the sale of avocados’ September 15, 2021 TV personality Jeremy Clarkson has called on the government to protect Britain’s food supplies just as the country is defended from attacks from foreign powers by its armed forces. Speaking at an event in Westminster hosted by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) earlier today, Clarkson urged the Government to commit to not let Britain’s self-sufficiency [...]
No sign of slowing down for Cazoo as buying spree continues September 15, 2021 Cazoo has continued its recent acquisition spree by snapping up car preparation and storage firm SMH Fleet Solutions (SMH) for £70m. The firm, which operates six sites across the UK, carries out 70,000 vehicle refurbishments a year. Its 500 staff will join Cazoo as the used car marketplace seeks to continue the rapid growth it [...]
Car dealer Pendragon beats profit expectations despite lockdowns September 15, 2021 Car dealer Pendragon said it had beaten its first half profit expectations despite the lockdowns that were in effect for much of January and February. The London-listed firm posted profit of £35.1m, up from a loss of £31m last year. It also reported a 49 per cent hike in revenue to £1.8bn, up from £1.2bn [...]
Liz Truss: UK faces choice between embracing Brexit opportunities or ‘staying in our comfort zone’ September 14, 2021 Spending nearly 50 years in the European Union has made some businesses and government employees “defensive” about trade, the International Trade Secretary said this afternoon. In a speech earlier today, Liz Truss set out how the UK’s post-Brexit trade strategy will be increasingly about attempting to secure business with eastern growth markets in India and [...]
Javid hints PCR tests for travel to be scrapped September 14, 2021 The health secretary has all but confirmed that the government will axe day two PCR tests for people returning from overseas in the upcoming review of its travel rules. In answer to a question from transport select committee chair Huw Merriman as to whether PCR tests could be replaced by lateral flow tests, Sajid Javid [...]
London Luton summer passenger numbers down two-thirds on 2019 September 14, 2021 Just 1.2m passengers used London Luton airport over the summer months, a fall of two-thirds compared to pre-pandemic levels. As a result of the UK’s ever-changing travel restrictions, the airport said that this was 4.0 per cent than the number in 2020. It called on the government to give the sector more support in order [...]
Easyjet sent into freefall: Shares continue to tumble September 14, 2021 Shares in budget flier Easyjet continued to tumble today after UBS said on Friday that the carrier would likely lag behind rivals in its recovery from the pandemic. Having tumbled 13.4 per cent yesterday, shares were down another 0.7 per cent this morning. Since Wednesday, when the carrier announced a £1.2bn rights issue, shares are [...]
Trainline ticket sales top £1bn as rail recovery gathers steam September 14, 2021 Trainline’s ticket sales topped £1bn for the first half of this year for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic as rail travel picked up sharply. Ticket sales jumped 179 per cent in the period ending August 2021 compared to 12 months ago, when much of the rail network sat idle due [...]
Aston Martin owner Stroll to invest £200m in new HQ for F1 team September 14, 2021 Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll will put up to £200m into a new manufacturing headquarters for the marque’s Formula 1 team. In an interview with the FT, the Canadian billionaire said he was aiming to increase the team’s valuation to £1bn over the next five years. The 37,000 square metre campus is located near British [...]
Exclusive: UK customs duties shoot up by 42 per cent to record £2.2bn since Brexit September 14, 2021 UK businesses and consumers have paid 42 per cent more in customs duties on goods since Brexit came into force on 1 January of this year, according to new data shared with City A.M. this afternoon. The jump to £2.2billion in customs duties – paid in the year from 1 January to July 31 of [...]