TfL Tube Strike: TSSA union accuses Boris Johnson of “engineering” Night Tube dispute and “playing politics” July 30, 2015 One of the unions representing Tube drivers who plan to strike next week has accused London mayor Boris Johnson of "engineering" the dispute and "playing politics" with the matter in the latest shot fired between the two warring sides. Tube workers will strike for 24 hours on 5 August over working hours on the soon-to-launch [...]
It’s not just David Cameron who needs to visit the Asean region: Singapore should be first for the UK’s tech investors July 30, 2015 For ambitious, high-growth UK tech companies with overseas expansion plans, Singapore offers an unrivalled ‘gateway’ into Asia. During his trip to the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region this week, Prime Minister David Cameron highlighted Southeast Asia’s 600 million people and thriving emerging economies, which could represent trade worth £3bn to the British economy. [...]
Neil Woodford’s Patient Capital Trust and Rothschild-backed Augmentum Capital lead £10m investment into crowdfunding platform Seedrs July 30, 2015 Star fund manager Neil Woodford and a venture capital fund backed by Lord Rothschild have led a funding round into online crowdfunding platform Seedrs, valuing the business at £30m. Woodford's Patent Capital Trust and Augmentum Capital said they will invest £7.5m into London-based Seedrs. The company will raise an additional £2.5m by targeting existing shareholders and other individual investors [...]
David Cameron backs FinTech manifesto to make UK a world leader by 2020 July 30, 2015 David Cameron has put his weight behind the UK’s technology startups and the finance world with the backing of a manifesto for making Britain the world leader in Financial Technology. The Prime Minister has lent his support to the five-year plan which aims to grow investment in the sector to six times its current level [...]
Nigel Farage: If the yes vote wins it is a step towards joining the euro July 30, 2015 A "Yes" vote to staying in the European Union could lead to the UK joining the single currency, said Ukip leader Nigel Farage said today. Read more: Ukip leader Nigel Farage gets tough on Brexit Speaking at Westminster about how the "No" campaign can win the referendum, Farage said: There is no doubt if we vote [...]
David Cameron launches pensions fee review as he accuses industry of charging “rip off” exit fees July 30, 2015 The Prime Minister has accused the pensions industry of charging “rip off” exit fees, saying the sector is taking advantage of pension reforms by creating a “new way of charging people”. Exit fees are currently charged when savers try to get hold of their money, which could be capped as part of a further overhaul. [...]
As David Cameron vows to crack down on corrupt foreigners buying London properties, can PM lift the shroud of secrecy? July 30, 2015 Prime Minister David Cameron grabbed headlines this week when he said: “There is no place for dirty money in Britain.” Vowing to remove a “shroud of secrecy” surrounding luxury London properties owned by offshore holding companies, the Prime Minister said in a speech in Singapore that the UK “must not become a safe haven for [...]
Barclays boss John McFarlane looks to cut costs despite profit rise in bid to streamline bank July 30, 2015 Barclays, Britain’s largest bank after HSBC, yesterday delivered £3.1bn of pre-tax profits for the first half of this year, boosted by a 36 per cent rise in the performance of its investment banking arm, which chipped in almost half the total. The investment bank made £1.44bn pre-tax profit. John McFarlane, who joined the bank as [...]
Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn wins backing from Unison while bookies tip him as favourite to lead Labour July 30, 2015 Far-left candidate Jeremy Corbyn has solidified his lead in the Labour leadership race, securing another major trade union endorsement and surging past his opponents in the betting markets for the first time. Unison, which counts 1.3m public service workers among its members, said yesterday that it was backing Corbyn’s anti-austerity candidacy. The trade union’s general [...]
John ‘Mac the Knife’ McFarlane raises fears with investors that egos will rule the roost at Barclays July 29, 2015 Is there a bank director with a thicker hide than John McFarlane? The tone of yesterday’s interim results from Barclays, which comfortably beat City forecasts, would more ordinarily be accompanied by the praise of a chairman for their chief executive. Instead, the newly installed executive chairman, McFarlane, struggled to find reasons for burying him. The [...]