The burden of business rates falls unfairly on the West End April 4, 2019 This week, UK retailers received one of their biggest tax bills of the year. The consequences of the 2017 revaluation of business rates will again be felt, with a further hike of nearly 50 per cent for some companies. Retailers in London’s West End and Mayfair will once again be hardest hit, paying the lion’s [...]
Sleet hits London as Met Office warns rush hour commuters to expect snow April 3, 2019 Sleet hit London this afternoon as temperatures plunged to as low as 3C amid warnings of snow later this week. Read more: London weather warms up as spring banishes winter The City of London experienced chilly sleet and rain, while the Met Office told Londoners to expect cold weather and rain for the rest of [...]
MPs cast doubt over Crossrail 2020 opening aim as they warn Elizabeth Line may need more than £2.8bn bailout April 3, 2019 MPs are “not convinced” that Crossrail will open in 2020 and fear the project will need more than the extra £2.8bn in funding it received to stay afloat, according to a damning report released today. Spending watchdog the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the costs of the railway, also known as the Elizabeth Line, had [...]
Labour’s nationalisation plans are a risk to London’s investment appeal April 2, 2019 Despite seemingly unending turbulence on Brexit, the UK, and London in particular, remains a very attractive place to do business. Our level of foreign direct investment (FDI) is at record levels, and London continues to outrank all other metropolitan areas across the globe in terms of the number of projects. Since the 1990s, the capital [...]
City watchdog calls for review of its regulation of collapsed mini-bond firm London Capital & Finance April 1, 2019 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said today there should be an independent investigation into its regulation of mini-bond firm London Capital & Finance (LC&F). The company collapsed in January owing investors more than £230m. The watchdog also called for an investigation to look at whether the existing regulatory system adequately protects retail purchasers of mini-bonds from [...]
No-deal Brexit now ‘a likely scenario’, says European Commission March 29, 2019 Following the defeat of Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal for the third time, the European Commission has said that a no-deal Brexit is now 'a likely scenario'. The Commission said in a statement that it regrets the vote and said: "The EU has been preparing for this since December 2017 and is now fully prepared for a [...]
Police shred Ukip leader’s claim officers will deploy water cannon on pro-Brexit protest rallies March 29, 2019 The Met Police was quick to dismiss an MEP's claims this morning that officers would use water cannon on pro-Brexit marchers congregating in London today. Read more: Brexit vote live: Mogg slams 'failure' that Brexit won't happen today Ahead of the several pro-Brexit marches taking place in the capital today, Gerard Batten MEP tweeted: “There are reports [...]
Numis sees revenues plunge amid Brexit uncertainty and lower share prices March 29, 2019 London-based stockbroker Numis has warned shareholders today that it expects to deliver revenue approximately 26 per cent lower in the first half of 2019 than it did in the same period a year before. Read more: Numis warns of Brexit hit to trading performance In a trading statement released this morning the company, which is [...]
It’s official: London named the best city in the world March 26, 2019 London has been voted the best city in the world, beating New York, Rome and Paris to the top spot. England's capital reclaimed the number one spot for the first time since 2016 in travel site Tripadvisor's annual annual Travellers’ Choice awards for Destinations ranking. Read more: Brexit sees London shift focus to long-haul visitors Paris claimed [...]
London weather warms up as spring banishes winter, says Met Office March 26, 2019 Londoners can shed a few layers this week as spring makes itself known through sunny days and above average temperatures before the mercury starts to fall over the weekend. Despite the chilly start today, the temperature is expected to climb to 14C in London, well above the average of 11C for the month. The rest [...]