Gone to pot: Police want Camden Town to become a “bong-free” zone October 6, 2016 Camden Town may look a little different the next time you visit as police have pledged to make the area a "no bong" zone and crackdown on paraphernalia associated with drug use. To draw an end to comparisons with pot hotspot Amsterdam, officers have warned shops based on Camden High Street and around the Lock [...]
Talks to avoid Southern Rail strikes going ahead next week have failed, according to the RMT October 6, 2016 Talks to avoid Southern Rail strikes going ahead next week have failed, according to the RMT. Southern Rail and union officials held talks from 10am in a bid to hash out their differences and avoid a series of strikes kicking off next week. The strike dates announced by the RMT are: 00:01 BST Tuesday 11 [...]
Bean counters are weighing digital’s contribution to the UK economy October 6, 2016 Bean counters are weighing up how they could count the contribution of smartphones and the digital content we consume on them – from watching Netflix to reading a newspaper online – to the British economy. Traditional economic measures have failed to keep up with the rise of digital and the online economy created by technology, and experts believe their [...]
Mobile is the invisible infrastructure that can drive the economy in post-Brexit Britain October 6, 2016 This week’s State of Mobile Networks report served as a timely reminder of the importance that people and businesses across the UK place on mobile connectivity, particularly superfast 4G. But it also acts as a wake-up call to the fact Britain could be left behind in the global digital race and miss out on an [...]
FCA complaints are still dominated by PPI mis-selling October 6, 2016 The number of complaints lodged against financial services firms nudged down in the first six months of 2016 according to statistics released by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The total number of complaints dropped by 2.6 per cent compared with the final six months of 2015. Barclays topped the list and received over a quarter of a million objections. Top five [...]
What a difference three and a half weeks makes? Tracking HabourVest’s hostile takeover attempt of SVG Capital October 6, 2016 It has been a strange three and a half weeks for chief executive Lynn Fordham and her board at SVG Capital (SVG). Sources close to the company said that SVG's board was only informed of HarbourVest's hostile takeover bid late in the evening on 11 September and in the weeks that followed the US-giant quickly gathered sufficient shareholder backing for its takeover offer. [...]
The dramatic fall in sterling is a cause for celebration – not depression October 6, 2016 Sterling is now trading at well under $1.30 to the pound, the lowest it has been for 31 years. Is this a cause for gloom or celebration? Most people seem to be depressed by what is happening, but they ought to be rejoicing. The UK’s exchange rate rose massively during the monetarist era in the [...]
Chancellor Philip Hammond vows to fight for the City in Brexit negotiations October 6, 2016 Philip Hammond has said the government will prioritise a good deal for the City in its upcoming negotiations over leaving the EU. In a visit to New York to reassure top Wall Street bankers, the chancellor said protecting access to Europe for financial services firms based in London was a pressing concern not only for [...]
Elliott Advisors reverses loss-making activities after cutting UK wage bill October 6, 2016 The UK arm of the activist fund manager involved in the likes of Poundland, SABMiller and Samsung has swung back into profit. Elliott Advisors UK, which runs British operations on behalf of its US parent, made a profit of £2.6m in the year to December 2015 after generating a loss of £2.7m the year before. [...]
Citi says it’s “time to buy” European banks October 6, 2016 Citi analysts have said it is time to buy Europe's beleaguered banks. In their analysis across 285 global sector and regional combinations, European banks are among the worst performing over the past decade, Citi said, adding that buying them would be "the world's most contrarian trade". Read more: ECB sees no risk of banking crisis in the Eurozone, [...]