London Assembly members have sided with Uber over English language tests and want the mayor Sadiq Khan to drop written plans March 9, 2017 London Assembly members have sided with Uber in the battle over English language tests, despite Transport for London triumphing in court last week. The majority of members have backed a motion calling on the mayor Sadiq Khan to ditch the requirements for written tests for Uber and other minicab drivers due to the disproportionate and unfair [...]
Barclays just handed its exec team £13.6m worth of shares in the bank, and there’s the chance they could snap up £9.2m more March 9, 2017 Barclays handed 10 of its most senior staff members shares worth £13.6m in the bank today, while also giving them the chance to snap up several million pounds more in years to come. By comparison, the bank awarded nine people shares worth £8.7m last year. The lender said the boost in this year's award was thanks [...]
Toshiba’s troubled nuclear business Westinghouse is bringing in bankruptcy lawyers March 9, 2017 Toshiba's US nuclear business, Westinghouse, has hired bankruptcy attorneys, signalling to investors it is serious about the potential of a Chapter 11 filing. The Japanese conglomerate brought in law firm Weil Gotshal & Manges to explore the option, but it had not yet taken a decision on a bankruptcy filing, sources told Reuters. Toshiba's shares closed down 7.2 per [...]
Mario Draghi says Brexit has had no economic impact as the European Central Bank (ECB) holds interest rates steady March 9, 2017 European Central Bank (ECB) president Mario Draghi said Brexit has so far not had a significant economic impact. Draghi said: "We haven't seen yet a consequence" or a "significant economic impact" from Brexit, despite the ECB's expectations. He also painted a more positive picture of the Eurozone economy as the bank held monetary policy steady, [...]
The UK’s City regulator will work with Japan on fintech startup collaboration March 9, 2017 The City watchdog is searching beyond Europe for fintech ties after Brexit and has its sights set on Japan for its latest bridge. The Financial Conduct Authority and it counterpart in Japan, the Financial Services Agency of Japan (JFSA), will work together on promoting fintech innovation and collaboration. But the agreement also means that UK fintechs [...]
HS2 investigates Mace’s concerns over its controversial contract award to CH2M March 9, 2017 HS2 is investigating concerns raised by construction firm Mace after a £170m contract was awarded to competitor CH2M. There had been questions raised over potential conflicts of interest and the role of Roy Hill, HS2's interim chief executive, who was on secondment from CH2M during the procurement process for the contract. A Mace spokesperson said: “A [...]
Donald Trump’s Republicans want a trade deal with the UK, and they want one quickly March 9, 2017 Two weeks ago I was in the United States. I met with officials, staff and influential Republican supporters and I can tell you that there is no shortage of enthusiasm for a UK – US trade deal. The Trump administration may still be settling in, but behind the scenes, his supporters and key figures see [...]
London’s tech firms are starting to tackle the industry’s diversity problem by changing up their hiring approach March 9, 2017 The capital’s tech businesses are taking steps to address the industry’s diversity problem, according to a new survey by Tech London Advocates (TLA). This month, the independent network of over 4,300 tech experts and leaders in London carried out a study into how the industry is approaching gender diversity. Of the 210 senior leaders from TLA [...]