Brexit latest: Oliver Letwin urges MPs to back programme motion October 22, 2019 Oliver Letwin has urged MPs to back the government on tonight’s programme motion as “the least of the evils”, after the Prime Minister threatened to pull the entire Brexit bill if he was defeated. Introducing the Brexit bill, formally called the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, Boris Johnson this afternoon told MPs he would abandon the bill [...]
Visual effects firm DNEG confirms plans for £150m London listing October 22, 2019 Oscar award-winning visual effects firm DNEG has confirmed plans to list on the London Stock Exchange, saying it will seek to raise £150m from the float. The London-headquartered company said it intends to sell at least 25 per cent of new and existing shares in a bid to fast track its growth plans. Read more: [...]
Crossrail at risk of facing further delays October 22, 2019 Crossrail is increasingly likely to face further cost blowouts and delays, according to a new report. The £15.9bn underground rail line was due to open in December 2018, but now has a target date of between October 2020 and March 2021. Read more: Crossrail to renegotiate pay with Bechtel However, a new report from Jacobs [...]
British flight ban to Sharm el-Sheikh lifted, as airlines eye resort for summer 2020 October 22, 2019 British holidaymakers could soon have the chance to return to the popular Egyptian resort Sharm el-Sheikh, after the government lifted a ban imposed in 2015. Flights to the resort town were suspended after 224 people were killed by the bombing of a Russian airliner, which was linked to the so-called Islamic State group (Isis). Read [...]
Number of companies entering administration leaps by a third in the third quarter October 22, 2019 The number of companies entering administration jumped by more than a third during the third quarter of the year, analysis published today showed. A study of notices in the London Gazette by accountancy firm KPMG showed a total of 417 companies went into administration between July and September 2019, compared with 310 in the previous [...]
MPs slam ‘inconceivable’ judgement of Thomas Cook auditor EY October 22, 2019 Thomas Cook’s auditor, EY, has faced a barrage of criticism from MPs, who called it “inconceivable” that accountants judged it a sustainable business in the year leading to its collapse. Bosses at EY and PwC, two of the so-called big four accountancy firms, were hauled in front of the business select committee this morning as [...]
Softbank seizes control of Wework in deal netting Adam Neumann $1.7bn October 22, 2019 Softbank has won approval from Wework’s board to take control of the struggling office space company, in a deal that nets co-founder Adam Neumann $1.7bn (£1.3bn) but severs most of his ties with the firm. Neumann will also step down from Wework’s board, the Wall Street Journal reported. Read more: Wework creates committee to mull [...]
McDonald’s misses estimates October 22, 2019 Wall Street investors found McDonald’s stock tough to swallow this afternoon after the fast food giant missed quarterly earnings and revenue expectations. Shares in the chain dropped three per cent in pre-market trading, as same-store sales in its home US market fell below expectations amid intense competition during the last three months. The firm reported [...]
Live update: Govt threatens to pull Brexit bill if MPs vote down timetable October 22, 2019 The Prime Minister has urged MPs to back his Brexit bill to ensure the UK leaves the EU by 31 October, saying it will allow the country “to heal”. Speaking in the Commons for the first time since he was forced to send a letter requesting an extension, Boris Johnson bemoaned the passing of the [...]
MPs challenge Sir Nick Clegg over Facebook’s political ads rule change October 22, 2019 A top MP has written to Facebook vice president Sir Nick Clegg urging him to explain why the social media platform has overhauled its rules on political advertising. Damian Collins, chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Select Committee, warned the changes would “place a heavy constraint on [Facebook’s] ability to combat disinformation [...]