London airport expansion: Business groups rally on government again after Heathrow accepts conditions for expansion May 11, 2016 Business groups have jumped on pledges by Heathrow Airport to reduce night flights, as well as curtail noise and pollution, to urge the government to make a decision on aviation expansion after months of dithering. Heathrow Airport today promised to make the concessions if it is allowed to build a new, third runway, ahead of [...]
EU referendum: EU businesses say Brexit will hurt them – but they want a tough stance in any post-Brexit trade negotiations May 11, 2016 Business across Europe want the UK and the EU to agree a trade deal in the event of Brexit — but they think negotiators should take a hard line and impose strict duties and tariff barriers to make the UK pay the price for leaving. Two-thirds of listed companies in Germany, France, Italy and Spain said [...]
EU referendum: Business travellers fear Brexit due to delays at passport control May 11, 2016 Concerns over increased airfares and delays at passport control have caused business travellers to feel uncertain about the prospect of Brexit. New research from DCC Forum found growing concerns among business owners over visa applications for entering countries and increased airfares if Britain leaves the EU. Almost one in five business travellers are worried about delays [...]
Premier oil share price slides despite oil production topping forecasts as debt concerns linger May 11, 2016 Premier Oil said today that it could beat its full-year production target after hitting record-high output levels, as it continues to shrink operating costs. It hit production levels of 78,000 barrels per day (bpd) last weekend, putting it on course to smash its 65,000-75,000 bpd full-year target. It also cut costs by 10 to 20 per cent more [...]
EU referendum: Boris Johnson wants the UK to back Brexit to stop funding Spanish bullfighting … but we already have May 11, 2016 Boris Johnson wants the money he says Britain would save from leaving the European Union to help fund the NHS, rather than going towards Spanish bullfighting. The Uxbridge MP and former Mayor of London made the claim on BBC Breakfast this morning, as he said a slice of Britain's £8.5bn net contribution to the EU was being pumped into the [...]
O2 – Three merger blocked by European Commission May 11, 2016 The European Commission competition regulator has blocked the planned takeover of O2 by Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison. The deal would have seen Telefonica’s O2 merge with Hutchison's UK network Three in a deal valued at £10.25bn. The tie up would have reduced the mobile operators in the UK to three, leaving just Vodafone and BT’s EE to challenge the merged [...]
Gtech eBike review: The battery-assisted push bike that takes the effort out of uphill slogs May 11, 2016 Getting around London has become remarkably easier in the last couple of years, thanks to our old friend electricity. Not content with powering our homes, the popular energy source has turned its attentions to bikes, scooters and weird little unicycle things of every conceivable shape and size, allowing us to zip around the city with [...]
EU referendum: Remain or Leave – a matter of war and peace? May 11, 2016 Invoking Blenheim, Trafalgar, Waterloo, the Great War, and the Battle of Britain, as arguments for UK engagement with Europe and the world was provocative and historically questionable, but to use these conflicts to support UK membership of the EU as essential is just daft. This is dishonest Remain-style parody of “Leave”. No one is advocating [...]