HS2: Leaked report urges government to press on with rail project November 12, 2019 The High Speed 2 (HS2) rail line connecting London to Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds should go ahead in its entirety despite the likelihood of massive budget overruns and falling benefit to the taxpayer, according to a draft of the official review into the project. Douglas Oakervee, a former chair of HS2 who was tasked with [...]
World’s wealthiest investors forecast a turbulent 2020 November 12, 2019 The world’s super rich are bracing themselves for a rocky year ahead, with many high net worth investors holding cash in their portfolios as a result. Almost four in five wealthy investors think that markets are heading towards a period of higher volatility. Read more: Billionaire boom slows down as uncertainty takes a toll Wealthy [...]
Labour experiences a ‘sophisticated’ cyber attack November 12, 2019 Labour has said it has been the victim of a “sophisticated and large scale cyber attack” on its digital platforms. However, a spokesperson for the party said the attempt had failed and there was no data breach. Read more: Hillary Clinton slams ‘shameful’ decision to delay Russian interference report “We took swift action and these [...]
Financial Times appoints first female editor as Lionel Barber steps down after 15 years November 12, 2019 Lionel Barber is stepping down as editor of the Financial Times (FT) after almost 15 years at the helm, to be replaced by the newspaper’s first female editor. The veteran journalist is set to depart at the beginning of next year, having taken over the position in 2005. He will be replaced by current FT [...]
Rugby World Cup audiences help push ITV ad revenue higher November 12, 2019 ITV stuck to full-year guidance today as it revealed a surge in online revenues while rugby fans helped push advertising spend towards the top of its range in the broadcaster’s third quarter. Total advertising with the broadcaster fell three per cent for the year to the end of September, but climbed one per cent over [...]
B&M shares dive as German unit put under review November 12, 2019 Shares in B&M fell more than seven per cent this morning as the bargain retailer launched a strategic review of its German business Jawoll to determine the future of the poorly performing unit. The figures The company’s overall pre-tax profit plunged 70 per cent to £32.2m in the first half, after its balance sheet was [...]
Arrow underlying profits fall due to rise in costs November 12, 2019 Debt purchasing group Arrow Global saw underlying profits fall 5.4 per cent to £50.4m in the nine months ending in September, due to a 15.1 per cent rise in costs related to IFRS 16. Despite this, the group’s cashflow increased 14.7 per cent to £174.4m, compared to £152m in 2018. Profits before tax increased 65.6 [...]
Hillary Clinton slams ‘shameful’ decision to delay Russian interference report November 12, 2019 Hillary Clinton has slammed the UK government for delaying the release of a report into potential Russian political interference before next month’s election, calling it “shameful” and “inexplicable”. The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) report has been given security clearance, but will not be publicly released before the 12 December General Election. Read more: General [...]
General Election 2019: Farage calls on Conservatives to stand aside for Brexit Party November 12, 2019 Fresh from his apparently “unilateral” decision that The Brexit Party candidates would not contest seats won by Tories in 2017, Nigel Farage is now demanding a reciprocal arrangement. The arch-Eurosceptic has urged Conservative candidates in some Labour-held seats to step aside for his own party. Speaking to BBC Breakfast this morning, he said: “I’ve just [...]
What now as monetary policy runs its course? November 12, 2019 | City Talk The UK looks set to reverse the course of austerity with all parties planning to ramp-up spending as the reality of a huge Brexit upheaval puts the pressure on both the treasury and Bank of England. However, despite the recovery seen in the post-2008 world, we have seen little upside in terms of interest rates [...]