Manchester United chairman Ed Woodward hails potential of US market September 10, 2014 Manchester United executive vice chairman Ed Woodward believes the club are in a strong position to capitalise on the growing popularity of football in the US. During their pre-season tour of the country this summer, United set a new national attendance record for a sporting event, attracting 109,310 to their friendly against Real Madrid at [...]
Scottish independence: Oil giant BP backs the Union September 10, 2014 BP has become the latest FTSE 100 company to nail its colours to the mast and argue for a No vote in Scotland's independence referendum on September 18. BP's declaration comes shortly after Sir Ian Wood, the former chief executive of Wood Group, warned voters they were being misled by wildly inaccurate forecasts about Scotland's [...]
Want to buy a holiday home this year? Getting the best exchange rate could add thousands to your budget September 10, 2014 If you are thinking of buying overseas chances are it's an escape to the sun that's on your mind. According to research from Moneycorp and Savills, France and Spain are the favourite countries for Brits to own a second home, together accounting for just under 50% of all second homes sampled in the survey. If [...]
Bad education? 14pc of English adults are now less educated than their parents September 10, 2014 Fourteen per cent of English adults aged 25-64 are less educated than their parents, according to a new study. The report explored educational mobility – or the likelihood people of a given generation achieve a higher level of education than their parents. The figures, by the OECD, showed educational mobility had slowed in the developed world, including [...]
London property market: Why a mansion tax could be disastrous for government coffers September 10, 2014 The threat of a mansion tax still looms large over the prime London housing market – despite the fact it could end up cutting the amount of tax paid to the government, according to research from property consultancy Savills. A mansion tax has been suggested by both the Liberal Democrats and Labour, and has proven [...]
Manchester United finances: Club announce record revenues despite seventh-placed finish September 10, 2014 Manchester United may have endured a turbulent time on the pitch last season, but off it, they continued to make remarkable progress. The club released their financial accounts for the 2013-14 season today, which revealed a mammoth total revenue of £433.2m, a 19 per cent increase on last season's £363m. United's struggles on the pitch culminated [...]
From floods and snowstorms to balmy December days: Why UK winter weather is about to get even more extreme September 10, 2014 If you thought British winters were bad, get ready for even more unpredictable weather. Conditions will swing from very mild and wet to extremely cold and snowy in the decades to come, according to a new report. By looking at the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), a seasonal measurement of barometric pressure variations over the [...]
Shock as Britain’s Lord Hill gets senior EU financial services job September 10, 2014 New EU president Jean-Claude Juncker has appointed relative unknown Lord Hill of Oareford to oversee Europe's financial services sector – one of the most prized jobs on the European Commission. The announcement came as rather a surprise – the UK government had expected Hill to be given a relatively junior economic role. It [...]
Alibaba IPO: Ecommerce firm may have already covered record-breaking listing September 10, 2014 Alibaba has already covered its record-breaking $21bn initial public offering, according to reports. The IPO launched on Monday and its investor roadshow has already hit New York and Boston, with founder Jack Ma explaining the company's business model and assuaging concerns over its corporate governance. And it appears the 49-year-old has been successful, [...]
Savile Row tailors won’t like that: Abercrombie & Fitch proves itself a Bad Neighbour September 10, 2014 Savile Row tailors' worst fears have surely been realised with this latest PR stunt, in which a group of topless chubby men descended on Abercrombie & Fitch to stitch up the semi-naked models standing outside. The London street, which is globally renowned for heritage tailors such as Edward Sexton, Hardy Amies, Kilgour, Henry Poole, and Gieves [...]