Garden Bridge Trust awarded £21m in contracts ‘prematurely’ and ‘recklessly’ October 15, 2019 Backers of the abandoned Garden Bridge awarded £21m in construction contracts before getting key land and building permits, according to a new report. The report, from the London Assembly’s Garden Bridge Working Group, details the “reckless” spending of the Garden Bridge Trust (GBT) and Transport for London (TfL) on the failed £53m project. Read more: [...]
Shore Capital delists from Aim stock market October 15, 2019 Shareholders have voted to remove Shore Capital from London’s Aim stock market in a crunch vote today. The broker will now stop public trading of its shares after 81.7 per cent of investors backed the motion. Read more: Shares slide as Shore Capital moots quitting Aim market Shore Capital needed at least 75 per cent [...]
Bellway shares slump after warning on growth October 15, 2019 Shares in house builder Bellway slumped more than five per cent this morning as it warned of a slowdown in house price growth and climbing building costs. Profit increased at the FTSE 250 firm but Bellway said it expected to deliver more moderate growth in the coming year. Read more: Bellway posts strong spring sales [...]
Business committee chair Rachel Reeves attacks defiant Thomas Cook leadership October 15, 2019 Business select committee chair Rachel Reeves launched a stinging attack on Thomas Cook executives today in a heated evidence session into the firm’s collapse last month. After hearing evidence on how the company was allowed to fall into liquidation, putting 9,000 people out of a job and 150,000 more stranded abroad, she told chief executive [...]
First time buyer mortgages hit 12-year high October 15, 2019 The number of first time buyer mortgage completions in August soared to the highest level since before the financial crisis. There were 35,010 mortgage completions for new buyers – an increase of 0.7 per cent on August last year – reaching the highest level since 2007. Read more: Mortgage approvals grow despite Brexit uncertainty Andrew [...]
Extinction Rebellion defy police ban on London protests October 15, 2019 The co-founder of Extinction Rebellion has defied a police ban on the group by protesting on top of the Department for Transport (DfT). Dr Gail Bradbrook stood on a cherrypicker at the top of the department this morning, blocking the entrance. Read more: Police ban Extinction Rebellion protesters from London She used a hammer to [...]
Fees fall flat at Hays as uncertainty slows hiring October 15, 2019 Recruitment firm Hays reported flat net fees in the first quarter as Brexit uncertainty dampened hiring activity in the UK. The company said there was strong hiring in the US and China, however, Germany, the company’s largest market, reported flat net fees. Read more: Shares in Pagegroup tumble as it warns on profits for second [...]
Thomas Cook CEO Peter Fankhauser: I worked ‘extremely hard’ for pay October 15, 2019 Thomas Cook chief executive Peter Fankhauser defended his pay at a heated showdown with MPs today. Fankhauser said he was “deeply sorry” for the holiday operator’s collapse, but added that he “worked extremely hard” for his pay. Read more: Jet 2 owner sees bookings rise after collapse of Thomas Cook “In relation to [a] normal [...]
Eleventh hour Brexit proposals to be tabled by UK October 15, 2019 UK negotiators are poised to table new proposals in a last-ditch bid to secure a Brexit deal. According to Irish broadcaster RTE, the latest set of proposals – which are being put forward after the supposed deadline for a deal has passed – follow a 90 minute meeting between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and DUP [...]
Sainsbury’s beats rivals to report sales growth October 15, 2019 Sainsbury’s beat its rivals to become the only major UK supermarket to report sales growth in the last 12 weeks. The grocer’s sales increased 0.6 per cent, its fastest rate since October last year, while the other “Big Four” supermarkets- Tesco, Asda and Morrisons – saw sales decline 0.2 per cent, 0.9 per cent and [...]