Boden appoints Tesco veteran as new CEO February 12, 2017 British clothing brand Boden has appointed Jill Easterbrook as its new CEO. Easterbrook formerly worked at Tesco for 15 years, holding at different times the roles of chief customer officer, group business transformation director and managing director of clothing. She left the company in 2016 and has been a non-executive director at Auto Trader since [...]
Hedge funds bank on Sky takeover bid success February 12, 2017 Two US hedge funds have banked on the Murdoch family succeeding in taking over the UK-based communications giant, Sky plc. According to reports in the Sunday Telegraph, the two funds, HBK and Pentwater, each disclosed they have amassed positions worth £310m and £300m respectively. In December last year, 21st Century Fox announced that it would be [...]
RBS on track for ninth straight year of losses, as struggling bank pressed to close branches and cut jobs in digital push February 12, 2017 Royal Bank of Scotland looks set to announce a multi-billion pound loss for 2016, its ninth straight year wallowing in the red, while it is also being pushed to cut branches as customers flee to digital banking. The 73 per cent state owned bank, which will reveal its annual results on 24 February, racked up losses attributable [...]
This trendy breed’s about to overtake Labradors as Britain’s most popular dog February 12, 2017 Bye-bye Andrex puppy, hello bat-eared Frenchie. The Labrador, long the country's favourite doggo, is about to be overtaken by a breed a little more on-trend and probably familiar to many a Londoner. The French bulldog has increased in popularity in recent years which many put down to the numerous celebrity owners of the pups (others might say [...]
Rebel peers are confident of amending Theresa May’s Article 50 Bill in the House of Lords February 12, 2017 Rebel peers are confident of amending the Article 50 Bill with protections for EU nationals once the legislation arrives in the House of Lords. The Bill, which grants Prime Minister Theresa May the power to trigger Brexit talks, was passed unamended by the House of Commons last week. But both the Lib Dems and Labour have [...]
British film and TV industries storm ahead with £1.6bn investment February 12, 2017 Spend on British film and TV production jumped 13 per cent in 2016 to 1.6bn, in a stellar year for the UK’s creative industries. Figures from the BFI showed that 48 major UK-based films accounted for 1.35bn of total investment. Last year’s top three grossing films at the UK box office were all filmed on [...]
Klimt painting set to fetch more than £45m at auction February 12, 2017 A painting by Gustav Klimt is expected to sell for at least £45m at auction next month. The 1907 landscape, entitled ‘Bauerngarten’, will go up for sale at Sotheby’s in London on 1 March. It was previously sold at Christie’s for $5.8m in 1994, and appeared in a Royal Academy exhibition last year. Works by [...]
Almost 50 Tory MPs are demanding a fast-track visa system for Commonwealth citizens February 12, 2017 Commonwealth countries could be offered a new “fast track” visa system in the aftermath of Brexit, under plans promoted by almost 50 Conservative MPs. In a letter to home secretary Amber Rudd, 45 Tory backbenchers have called for the UK to “extend the hand of friendship to our Commonwealth partners”. The MPs, who include former [...]
Flower delivery startup Bloom & Wild is set to blossom with millions in fresh funding February 12, 2017 An innovative London startup delivering flowers has raised millions more in fresh funding to pursue ambitious international expansion. Bloom & Wild has landed £3.75m from German media company Hubert Burda's venture arm and previous investor MMC Ventures, along with other angels. Read more: Hungry House is partnering with a startup to help takeaways deliver more The [...]
John Lewis, Pret and the 30 biggest private companies MPs want held more accountable February 12, 2017 Middle class favourite John Lewis and lunch time hotsport Pret a Manger are just two of Britain's most well-known businesses which could be subject to a stricter code of governance traditionally reserved for Britain's top public companies. Under new proposals suggested by a group of MPs, 30 of Britain's biggest privately owned companies would have to set [...]