Mothercare ‘finalising plans’ to put UK business into administration November 3, 2019 Mothercare is said to be finalising a restructuring plan that could involve putting its British operations into administration this week, in what would be the latest blow to the UK’s struggling retail sector. The company, which now leans heavily on its franchising business abroad, has readied administrators to take over the unit in the coming [...]
Labour mulls climate change finance crackdown as election looms November 3, 2019 The Labour party is considering measures to crack down on firms which invest in fossil fuels which include making the Bank of England (BoE) change its policy operations to avoid carbon bias. In an announcement which has raised concerns about “skewing” the BoE’s focus, Labour said it was also considering forcing banks to publish the [...]
Kier Group lenders ‘trying to offload outsourcer’s debt’ November 3, 2019 The lenders of construction outsourcer Kier Group are said to be trying to offload its debt to hedge funds, in a sign they think the risk of another corporate collapse in the embattled sector is increasing. HSBC and other lenders to the troubled FTSE 250 company are reportedly marketing the debt for as little as [...]
‘Dirty business’: Rail firms will still be dumping raw sewage on the line next year November 3, 2019 Rail operators have been forced to backtrack on a promise to stop the “dirty business” of dumping excrement on tracks by the end of the year. Network Rail and a number of train companies have admitted the 2017 promise – to stop using carriages whose toilets flush sewage directly onto the track by the end [...]
HS2 review still unfinished, with no final decision expected until after election November 3, 2019 A decision on whether to proceed with the controversial HS2 rail project appears to have been pushed back until after the upcoming General Election, amid uncertainty over how it will feature in party manifestos. Lord Tony Berkeley, the deputy chairman of the official review into the high-speed rail scheme, said the report remains unfinished, with [...]
Christmas can come too early – or at least the adverts can November 3, 2019 It’s just days since Halloween, but the Christmas advert season is well and truly upon us already. But not everyone is feeling festive yet. Market researcher Kantar Group has revealed that 67 per cent of shoppers think the adverts are too early. Read more: Toxic Tube a health hazard for commuters On the other hand, [...]
ECB warned over bond-buying’s effect on stock markets November 3, 2019 The European Central Bank’s (ECB) money-printing programme risks causing significant damage to stock markets, Wall Street analysts have warned new president Christine Lagarde. Read more: Mario Draghi defends his record at final ECB meeting The message of caution came as the ECB restarted its “quantitative easing” (QE) programme on 1 November, through which it digitally [...]
Boris Johnson feels ‘deep regret’ for missing his 31 October Brexit deadline November 3, 2019 Boris Johnson has apologised to Conservative party members for not fulfilling his 31 October “do or die” Brexit pledge. The Prime Minister continually claimed he would not ask for a Brexit extension, saying “he would rather die in a ditch” than ask Brussels to extend the 31 October deadline. Read more: Nigel Farage will not [...]
‘Financially illiterate’: Tim Martin has a scathing assessment of Glass Lewis advisory service November 3, 2019 Tim Martin, the boss of JD Wetherspoon pubs, has launched a broadside against shareholder adviser Glass Lewis, after it said investors should vote against the company’s pay policy. Glass Lewis, which is the second-biggest shareholder advisory service in the world, raised concerns about a “significant” increase in pay for the pub group’s finance chief for [...]
Sir Philip Green in talks to secure £300m by Christmas November 3, 2019 Embattled retail magnate Sir Philip Green is in talks with lenders about borrowing more than £300m that he needs by Christmas to pay off a loan secured against his flagship Oxford Street Topshop store. Read more: Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia reveals huge losses amid CVA controversy Among the possible suitors is US private equity company [...]