Frankie & Benny’s owner The Restaurant Group to outline site closure plans February 24, 2020 The Restaurant Group – which owns Chiquito, Frankie & Benny’s and Wagamama – is set to announce site closures as it publishes its full-year results this week. Chief executive Andy Hornby – who joined the casual dining company in August – is expected to announce which underperforming sites will be closed. Out-of-town retail park locations, [...]
GSK sheds drug brands in multi-million euro deal February 24, 2020 UK pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to sell 15 of its drug brands. The deal, which is with German firm Stada and is reportedly worth €300m (£250m), though neither company would comment on the exact price, according to Reuters. The brands purchased under the deal include treatments for sore throats, allergy relief and vitamin C [...]
Brexit: UK to prioritise sovereignty over business continuity in EU trade talks February 24, 2020 Britain will prioritise “sovereignty and independence” over business continuity when it comes to trade talks with the EU, Number 10 has said. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his ‘XS’ committee – made up of frontbenchers such as Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove and foreign secretary Dominic Raab – is expected to sign off the negotiating [...]
Dechra profits double as pharma firm remains on track to hit targets February 24, 2020 Veterinary products firm Dechra Pharmaceuticals today revealed it doubled its profit in the six months to the end of 2019. Profit before tax jumped 117 per cent to £19.5m for the first half of Dechra’s financial year, up from £9m in the corresponding period of 2018. Meanwhile, operating profit was £23.3m, up from £17m in [...]
Minister James Brokenshire says he would eat chlorinated chicken in UK February 24, 2020 A Home Office minister has refused to rule out eating chlorinated chicken if it were sold in the UK after Brexit’s transition period ends. Security minister James Brokenshire did not reject the idea that he would eat chlorine-washed chicken, if authorities in the UK gave it the green light, telling LBC he was “not a [...]
Starmer refuses to comment on return to frontbench for Corbyn February 24, 2020 The frontrunner in Labour’s leadership contest Keir Starmer has refused to comment on whether the man he hopes to replace would have a role in the next shadow government. Speaking to the BBC this morning about whether Jeremy Corbyn could have a seat on the frontbench, Starmer stressed he had “not discussed that team with [...]
Burberry shares fall as spread of coronavirus spooks investors February 24, 2020 Shares in luxury goods giant Burberry have fallen a further six per cent this morning as the spread of coronavirus in Europe spooked investors. The British brand has seen its share price drop in recent weeks as the virus took hold in China, one of Burberry’s major markets. Earlier this month Burberry was forced to close [...]
Carnival shares slip lower as coronavirus fears grow February 24, 2020 Shares in Carnival fell nearly seven per cent as fears over a global pandemic grew and hit travel and leisure stocks. The company plunged 6.57 per cent, as at 4pm, in what has been a particularly turbulent day on the FTSE 100. London’s blue-chip index fell 3.5 per cent to 7.143 points. The last FTSE [...]
EY adds two key appointments to its Business Rates team February 24, 2020 | City Talk As the debate around business rates continues and speculation that it may be subject to one of the Chancellor’s key announcements on Budget day increases, EY has announced the arrival of two key appointments to its Business Rates team. Alex White joins the team as Associate Partner, having been a business rates specialist for the [...]
Disney Plus UK: Everything you need to know (and why The Simpsons is missing) February 24, 2020 Eager film and TV fans can today get their hands on a discounted Disney Plus subscription ahead of the streaming service’s UK launch next month, while the media giant has given subscribers a taste of its content slate. How much does it cost? Disney Plus today announced that customers can sign up for an introductory [...]