David Cameron plans reshuffle to boost women at the top of the Tory party July 14, 2014 Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to announce a reshuffle of his top ministers today, as he seeks to boost the number of women in the upper ranks of the Conservative party ahead of the 2015 general election. The reshuffle comes on the same day as a highly critical report into equality in [...]
From Gaucho to Heron Tower, London says auf Wiedersehen to World Cup July 14, 2014 While England’s World Cup hopes may have ended weeks ago with yet another disappointment, last night the financial capital of Europe was still buzzing with the energy of rival fans from two of football’s most successful nations, as they watched their teams battle it out for glory for a third time in a World [...]
Deadline day starts to loom for AbbVie’s takeover bid for Shire July 14, 2014 US drug giant AbbVie will embark on a final push to land UK rival Shire this week after meeting with representatives of the business over the weekend to thrash out a $30bn plus takeover deal. The US firm has until Friday to submit a proposal under Takeover Panel rules or walk away for at least [...]
Ashley’s Sports Direct plans on Australia launch July 14, 2014 Sports Direct is set to make its first foray into Australia through a tie-up with MySale after buying a stake in the flash sales site last month. The sports retail giant, controlled by billionaire tycoon Mike Ashley, plans to open three stores in Australia and one in New Zealand through a joint venture with MySale. [...]
Osborne’s UK hard-hat tour July 14, 2014 GEORGE Osborne is preparing for a whistle-stop tour of the country to announce new infrastructure projects ahead of the general election in 2015. The chancellor is expected to announce a £7bn investment in science this autumn, according to the Financial Times, alongside smaller projects designed to emphasise the Treasury’s commitment to long-term infrastructure investment.
Inside Track: Sir John Peace has done Chris Bailey no favours at Burberry July 14, 2014 SIR John Peace, Burberry’s beleaguered chairman, did not return my telephone call yesterday to discuss his failure to convince the luxury group’s investors to back the controversial £20m pay package for its chief executive Chris Bailey. His reluctance to put his case mirrors his sorry performance in the run-up to the shareholder meeting, when he [...]
Family Building Society pledges to support young homebuyers July 14, 2014 A new building society that aims to help young adults onto the property ladder by allowing family members to share the financial burden has launched today. The Family Building Society, an offshoot of the National Counties Building Society, joins a growing list of lenders and “challenger banks” looking to take on the traditional high street [...]
Chelsea to ditch Viagogo for own ticket exchange July 14, 2014 Chelsea Football Club has severed its ties with ticket exchange site Viagogo, ending its nine-year relationship with the firm, in favour of an in-house exchange that doesn’t charge fees. The new system is similar to that of Arsenal, which has operated its own ticket exchange since 2008, and comes after pressure on the club since [...]
HC-One bosses on verge of £5m sell off jackpot July 14, 2014 The care home company created in the wake of the Southern Cross collapse is weeks away from being sold in a £535m deal which could net senior management a £5m bonus. The sale of HC-One will generate the one-off windfall for the senior management team at HC-One, a company formed of Court Cavendish, owned by [...]
Lindt in talks to buy American chocolate-maker Russell Stover July 14, 2014 Swiss chocolate-maker Lindt & Spruengli is said to be in advanced talks to buy Russell Stover, the US family-owned confectionary group. Russell Stover is America’s largest maker of boxed chocolates through its three main brands Russell Stover, Whitman’s, and Pangburn’s. The Ward family, which bought the company from its founders in 1960, has hired Goldman [...]