Profit slump revealed at Jim Ratcliffe-backed Petroineos ahead of major closure May 15, 2025 Profitp at Petroineos slumped in the months leading up the closure of its Grangemouth refinery, heavily delayed accounts have revealed, as the energy trading company wrestled with economic uncertainty, supply chain shocks and a shift away from fossil fuels. The Jersey-based business, which is backed by billionaire Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, posted a [...]
Manchester United swap trophy parade for BBQ if they win Europa League May 13, 2025 Manchester United are not planning a trophy parade if they win the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur next week. The club, run by British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, could put some gloss on a difficult season by beating Spurs and claiming a Champions League place on 21 May in Bilbao. But even if they [...]
New Zealand Rugby post £8.7m loss months after Ineos saga May 8, 2025 New Zealand Rugby has posted a third consecutive loss despite the firm – which encompasses the All Blacks – achieving record income. A NZ$19.5m (£8.7m) loss for 2024 follows losses of NZ$8.9m (£4m) and NZ$47m (£21m) in 2023 and 2022 respectively. While nowhere near the £34.3m loss at England’s Rugby Football Union recently, the 2024 [...]
Tony Blair calls for Net Zero ‘reset’ in break with Miliband April 30, 2025 Sir Tony Blair has called for a reset of “irrational” Net Zero plans, with an extended critique of the current state of the climate debate that has been seen as a direct rebuke to the energy secretary Ed Miliband. Blair, the last Labour leader to win an election before Sir Keir Starmer, cautioned in a [...]
Ineos and Ratcliffe need a sporting win and fast April 11, 2025 “Ineos Britannia announces that it has withdrawn its intention to challenge for the next America’s Cup.” Those were the words issued this week in the latest sporting scaleback by British chemicals billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The stream of negative news out of Manchester United – including hundreds of job losses, brutal cost-cutting and criticism over [...]
Manchester United Old Trafford plans set to be revealed March 10, 2025 Manchester United are today expected to announce plans for a new stadium to replace Old Trafford after co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe defended the club’s penny pinching. A “Wembley of the North” on the site of Old Trafford has been Ratcliffe’s goal since the billionaire purchased just under 30 per cent of Manchester United last year. [...]
Ratcliffe calls on Europe to ditch carbon tax to save chemicals industry February 26, 2025 Sir Jim Ratcliffe has warned that Europe’s chemicals industry “faces extinction” and called on European Union leaders to ditch their carbon tax and increase tariffs to preserve it. In an open letter published on Wednesday, the founder and owner of chemicals giant Ineos launched an excoriating assessment of the EU’s approach to the chemicals sector, [...]
Man Utd job losses could hit 450 as Ratcliffe swings axe again February 24, 2025 Manchester United have confirmed plans to make up to another 200 redundancies in a bid to arrest five years of continuous losses at the 20-time English champions. It comes just months after Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos slashed 250 jobs at Old Trafford and could take the total number of redundancies to 450 since he [...]
Glazer answers question of whether Manchester United is for sale February 20, 2025 Manchester United co-owner Avram Glazer has given a definitive answer as to whether he would sell his share in the Old Trafford club. The Premier League club published their results this week, showing a £14.5m cost for disposing of former manager Erik ten Hag, sporting director Dan Ashworth and others. The club therefore made a [...]
Tennis sceptics have got it wrong – we need more mixed-sex sport events February 20, 2025 Some players aren’t happy with the US Open’s drastic rethink of mixed doubles, but tennis should be applauded for a move that is good for women’s sport, says Ed Warner. Even the most ardent tennis fan probably couldn’t tell you who won the mixed doubles at last year’s US Open, or any of the other [...]