John McDonnell: Labour will nationalise railways within five years September 22, 2018 Britain's railways could be taken back into public hands within five years if Labour wins the next general election, according to shadow chancellor John McDonnell. Ahead of Labour’s party conference which starts tomorrow, John McDonnell told the BBC he was looking at the possibility of breaking clauses in contracts to allow rail franchises to be [...]
Brexit: Sterling falls further as Theresa May says UK-EU negotiations are at an impasse September 21, 2018 Theresa May said Brexit negotiations are at an impasse today, in a speech where she called for “respect” following Brussels’ snub to her Chequers plan yesterday. Her speech accelerated sterling's losses, with the pound dropping from 1.33 against the US dollar at the start of the day to 1.31 following her talk, and from 1.13 to [...]
Labour mulls break-up of Big Four accountancy firms September 21, 2018 The Labour party is weighing up radical plans to break up the Big Four accountancy firms, amid mounting pressure on the UK’s scandal-hit auditors. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell vowed to end what he described as a “cartel” among the country’s largest bean counters in the run-up to his party conference this weekend. “They have demonstrated [...]
M&C Saatchi: WPP needs ‘radical surgery’ for post-Sorrell future September 21, 2018 M&C Saatchi's boss has warned his firm is ready to swoop on rival ad agency WPP’s territory as Sir Martin Sorrell’s successor is busy performing “radical surgery” on the business. David Kershaw hailed surging earnings at M&C Saatchi, seeing revenue almost double to £215.4m after new accounting rules changed the way revenue from customer contracts [...]
TfL urges Londoners to rethink travel plans ahead of planned Piccadilly Line strike next week September 21, 2018 Londoners have been urged to rethink their travel plans ahead of scheduled three-day strike on the Piccadilly Line by the rail union RMT. The strike will force the entire line out of action from Wednesday 26 September until the Saturday. If the strike goes ahead there will also be no Night Tube on the [...]
Sterling falls after EU pounds May’s Chequers deal September 21, 2018 Sterling took a further beating this morning after Theresa May's botched attempts to woo European officials ended in disaster. Following an abrupt rejection of the Prime Minister’s Chequers agreement at Salzburg yesterday, the pound fell 0.6 per cent lower against the dollar and the euro, hitting $1.318 and €1.12 respectively. Read more: May's Brexit plan 'will [...]
Chris Grayling urges the EU to soften its stance on the Irish border to reach a deal with the UK September 21, 2018 Transport secretary Chris Grayling has said there will be no deal with the EU unless it softens its stance on the Irish border. Grayling – who is feeling the pressure after refusing to take responsibility for the rail timetable chaos – came to the Prime Minister's defence after she met with EU leaders in Salzburg where [...]
One referendum fractured the UK – a second could shatter it September 21, 2018 Who wants a second Brexit referendum? Everyone, it would seem these days. The Czech and Maltese Prime Ministers called for one yesterday at the EU summit in Salzburg. According to Brussels gossip, the UK negotiators have been hampered by whispers that it is possible to get fickle Britain to change its mind. And, indeed, Vince Cable [...]
Price wars versus trade wars: Markets work just fine when we leave them alone September 21, 2018 David Lewis is ramping up a food fight of epic proportions. The chief executive of Tesco has launched a spin-off chain of discount supermarkets called Jack’s (named after Tesco’s founder Jack Cohen). The aim is to become more competitive with German chains Aldi and Lidl, which have been saturating the market with cheaper products since [...]
Africa deserves more optimism and attention from City investors September 21, 2018 In Johannesburg last month, the Prime Minister set a new ambition for the UK to be the largest G7 foreign direct investor in Africa by 2022. Achieving that ambition won’t be easy, but for UK investors who are prepared to change their attitudes and look beyond the easy choices, there are great opportunities. I was privileged [...]