MPs back Prince Philip statue on The Mall in London April 11, 2021 Prince Philip is set to be commemorated with a statue along The Mall in London, after the idea gained cross-party backing by MPs. The Mall already has statues of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother alongside a statue of her husband King George VI. The Sunday Telegraph reports that Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader [...]
COP26: Is the City ready for its leading role in the fight against climate change? April 10, 2021 Windows were smashed at Barclays headquarters this week by climate activists who urged the bank to cut its climate destructive investments. Last week campaigners painted the Bank of England (BoE) black in a bid to raise the alarm on the institution’s funding of Big Oil. Where money goes within the City is under more scrutiny [...]
Buy2Let Cars parent company under investigation by serious fraud watchdog April 9, 2021 The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has launched an investigation this morning into the Buy2Let Cars parent company Raedex Consortium for an unauthorised customer investment scheme. The SFO, the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the City of London police searched two premises in connection to the scheme and arrested one person yesterday. The person was interviewed [...]
City Corporation to launch new Covid Business Recovery Fund for Square Mile SMEs April 8, 2021 | City Talk A new Covid Business Recovery Fund of up to £50 million will launch next Monday (12 April) after it was agreed by the City of London Corporation’s Policy and Resources Committee. The fund is designed to support SME businesses which contribute to the Square Mile’s vibrancy at street level and directly provide services to returning [...]
London mayor candidate: Labour voters will go Green over Starmer anger April 8, 2021 Traditional Labour voters will back the Green Party in upcoming London local elections to send a message to Sir Keir Starmer, according to Green candidate Sian Berry. Berry told City A.M. that “a lot of people are frustrated with the Labour party” under Starmer and that there is “a real chance to bring people over [...]
Northern Ireland: Ministers condemn ‘deplorable’ violence in Belfast April 8, 2021 Northern Ireland’s devolved government has condemned the “deplorable” acts of violence and rioting from militant unionists over the past six nights in Belfast and beyond. Ministers said in a statement that they are “gravely concerned by the scenes we have all witnessed on our streets, including those at the Lanark Way interface [in Belfast] last [...]
In-person conferences to return to the capital with fintech event April 8, 2021 In-person conferences are set to return in July with Fintech Week London, as lockdown restrictions ease after a socially starved year. “Virtual conferences have served us well during the pandemic, but there’s nothing like being around fellow professionals and immersing yourself in face-to-face conversations,” CEO of Fintech Week London, Raf De Kimpe, said. “The Covid-19 [...]
Venture capital trusts fundraised £685m last year in bid to support small businesses April 8, 2021 Venture capital trusts (VCTs) managed to bolster fundraising by 11 per cent last year, raising £685m in funds for small businesses. The fundraising, only six per cent below pre-pandemic levels, is set to give some companies some breathing room after a fiscally tough year. “It’s really positive that during the pandemic 11 per cent more [...]
Debenhams to reopen stores for final sale ahead of move to online April 8, 2021 Debenhams is set to reopen its stores next week to complete its final closing down sale, as the store moves online. The sale, on 12 April, forms part of the high street retailer’s final stock liquidation process and will continue until the stock is fully cleared. “This is the last chance for customers in England [...]
Brexit: EU online deliveries to UK have halved April 8, 2021 Online deliveries to the UK from Europe have plunged 50.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2021, according to e-commerce shipping platform Sendcloud. New shipping requirements and extra VAT costs have drastically cut EU to UK shipments compared to the final quarter of last year. The new data has stressed the delivery issues online [...]