Exclusive: Whitehall frustration at Johnson’s October deadline for UK-India trade deal August 12, 2022 Whitehall officials have raised concerns about Boris Johnson’s October deadline for a UK-India trade deal, with suggestions the PM’s “freestyling” could mean a lighter agreement than originally hoped. Johnson and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed during an April meeting that there would be a “trade deal by Diwali”, which is on 24 October this [...]
UK economy shrinks by 0.6 per cent as Britain heads for winter recession August 12, 2022 The UK economy contracted by 0.6 in June and shrank 0.1 per cent between April and June, compared to growth of 0.8 per cent in the previous three months, the Office for National Statistics said this morning. Commenting on the gross domestic product (GDP) figures that showed a 0.1 per cent contraction in the second [...]
Eurovision will not be hosted in London as seven UK cities in the running for song contest August 12, 2022 London is not in the running to host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest when it comes to the UK. A shortlist of seven cities has been announced, including Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield. Hower, London and Belfast are among those that will not be considered for the event, which is to be [...]
Anxious East Africa holds its breath: Still no election winner while fraud claims start to fly August 12, 2022 NAIROBI – East Africa is holding its breath this Friday morning as Tuesday’s cliffhanger elections in regional powerhouse Kenya still has not produced a clear presidential winner. While vote counting in the country is reaching its final stages, in an extremely close race between the two main candidates, confusion is growing as a range of [...]
High street tycoon and Topshop creator Sir Ralph Halpern passes away at 83 August 12, 2022 Topshop founder and one of the creators of the high street as we know it, Sir Ralph Halpern, has passed away at the age of 83, it has been reported. Halpern was the chief executive of the menswear retailer Burton Group from the late 1970s to early 1990s. “Our father left an irreplaceable mark on [...]
888 runs out of luck: Revenues drop as betting giant completes William Hill acquisition August 12, 2022 888’s revenue and profit fell in the second quarter as it completed the acquisition of betting company William Hill. The betting and gaming company suffered a 13 per cent revenue decline to £332.1m from £380.9m in the first quarter of last year. Stricter gambling laws in the UK and the closure of the Netherlands led [...]
‘No discernible sign’ of spending slowdown for betting titan Flutter amid cost of living crunch August 12, 2022 Gaming brands operator Flutter has said it has not yet seen any big shift in consumer spending, amid historically high levels of inflation. In interim results for the year, the FanDuel and Sportsbet said there had been “no discernible signs of a consumer slow down currently” as the second-half of the year progresses. The company [...]
City Moves: Who’s switching jobs in the Square Mile? August 12, 2022 City A.M.’s Millie Turner provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every morning. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. Deloitte Deloitte has built out its financial advisory practice with a new London-based director. Stepping into the real estate team, ex-KPMG Tracey Hancock brings some experiences from across CBRE and JLL. Hancock, a chartered surveyor and registered [...]
UK jobs market still holding up despite recession warnings August 12, 2022 The UK jobs market is defying gloomy recession forecasts, but economists have warned joblessness could rise as the country limps into the worst of the cost of living crisis, a new survey published today reveals. Vacancies surged to 1.85m last month, the highest this year, in a sign employers are still trying to grab new [...]
DWP final salary pension reform could be a ‘straitjacket’, pensions chief warns August 12, 2022 Government plans to ramp up scrutiny of 'final salary' pension scheme funding could be a “straitjacket” for the industry and scupper hopes that retirees’ cash could be diverted into areas like tech and infrastructure, a pension expert has warned.