David Cameron made £836,000 last year while Theresa May banked £400,000 February 1, 2020 David Cameron made £836,168 last year in media and speaking fees. The former Prime Minister had more than £538,000 in the bank of his company, The Office of David Cameron, for the year ending April 30, according to new accounts filed with Companies House, which was first reported by The Telegraph. It excludes any profits [...]
Donald Trump set to be acquitted in impeachment trial February 1, 2020 US President Donald Trump is all but certain of being acquitted in his impeachment trial. On Friday, senators voted against calling witnesses or admitting new evidence. It was a move from Democrats that would have in all likelihood only extended the trial without changing its outcome. However, they had been dependent on four possible swing [...]
Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct resolves chunk of €674m Belgian tax bill January 30, 2020 Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct has resolved a large chunk of a €674m (£570.2m) tax dispute with the Belgian authorities. The retailer – which recently rebranded as Frasers Group – said €491m of the disputed VAT had been accounted for and authorities in Belgium had withdrawn the claim. Ashley’s company said it would “continue to fully engage [...]
Has the business world found its purpose? Trust, but verify January 29, 2020 Last week’s Davos carnival was an orgy of virtue signalling. A group of senior executives flew in on private jets to talk about how to tackle climate change. Leaders of companies that have been highly active in lobbying for corporate tax breaks signed a letter calling for higher taxes on the rich if we are [...]
Friday marks the end of the beginning of the Brexit battle January 29, 2020 One of Winston Churchill’s many gifts was his ability to summon the force of his rhetoric as a means of divining the feeling of the British nation. His passionate invocations in the dark days of the summer of 1940, when the UK stood alone against the Nazi menace, were masterpieces of fighting spirit, helping to [...]
Investors in Neil Woodford’s frozen flagship fund get first payout January 28, 2020 Hundreds of thousands of investors trapped in the flagship fund of disgraced stockpicker Neil Woodford are facing steep losses, as details emerge of the first payout since the fund was gated in June. Initial payments of between 46.3p and 58.9p per share will be made to investors, administrator Link Fund Solutions said in an update [...]
With 100 days to go, can Sadiq Khan lose the 2020 London mayoral election? January 28, 2020 Even Sadiq Khan’s biggest critics would acknowledge his skill in working a crowd. The mayor of London glides from person to person, selfie to selfie, handshake to handshake. At a time when politicians are not exactly enjoying public favour, he seems to have plenty of Londoners firmly on his side. The response toward Khan by [...]
Mike Ashley in talks to sell Newcastle United for £340m January 26, 2020 Retail tycoon Mike Ashley is in talks to sell Newcastle United football club to a consortium including Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund for £340m. The billionaire owner of Sports Direct – recently renamed Frasers Group – bought Newcastle United in 2007 but is now in talks with a group led by British financier Amanda Staveley [...]
Build it better: How the office of the future can help save the planet January 23, 2020 Climate change is the headline topic in Davos this week, where business leaders and politicians have gathered for the World Economic Forum. Activist Greta Thunberg told the gathered elite that their inaction over the climate was “fuelling the flames by the hour”. While many may dismiss her warnings (President Donald Trump earlier urged leaders to [...]
Liquidity concerns mount as investors pull £1bn from Mark Barnett’s Invesco funds January 22, 2020 Investors pulled at least £1bn from Invesco funds managed by Mark Barnett in the final quarter of 2019 amid mounting concerns over liquidity following the collapse of Neil Woodford’s investment empire. Estimates from financial data provider Morningstar suggest the three funds managed by Barnett — Invesco Income, High Income, and UK Strategic Income — suffered [...]