Neil Woodford-backed challenger Atom gets thumbs-up from regulators June 24, 2015 A mobile-based bank backed by City superstar investor Neil Woodford and launched by a founder of Metro Bank has been granted a banking licence, it said this morning. Durham-based Atom, launched by former Metro Bank chairman and First Direct chief executive Mark Mullen, will launch as a mobile app at first, with a desktop version [...]
Against the Grain: What Yanis Varoufakis can learn from a real game theory master – Nicola Sturgeon June 23, 2015 The gracious Palladian architecture of Edinburgh has often led the city to be described as the Athens of the North. If the referendum result had gone the other way, much closer parallels would have rapidly emerged. A high spending left wing government, faced with a collapse in revenues due to the fall in the oil [...]
Zac Goldsmith officially announces he will run to be the Conservative candidate for Mayor of London June 23, 2015 Zac Goldsmith, the Conservative MP, has officially announced he will run to become his party’s candidate for Mayor of London. The MP for Richmond Park held a consultation with his constituents, in which they could vote on whether he could run for the position, before making an official announcement. Some 79 per cent, or 15,802, [...]
Neil Woodford’s Patient Capital investment trust slapped with a “sell” rating by broker Stifel June 23, 2015 Neil Woodford's Patient Capital Trust has been slapped with a "sell" rating by broker Stifel Funds, which warned its share price has leapt ahead of its net asset value (NAV), or the trust's underlying value. Stifel analyst Iain Scouller said the trust's share price had jumped by 16 per cent since May, but just 4.3 per [...]
Tesco shareholders encouraged to revolt at AGM over Dave Lewis’ pay, Philip Clarke’s golden goodbye and John Allan’s appointment as chairman June 23, 2015 Tesco shareholders are being encouraged to stage a revolt at the supermarket's AGM on Friday, with investor group Pirc advising they vote against key resolutions. Chief executive Dave Lewis' pay could come under particular scrutiny if Pensions and Investment Research Consultants – one of the largest investor groups in the UK – gets its [...]
US Treasury secretary Jack Lew urges an agreement as Greek drama continues June 23, 2015 The United States has heaped on the pressure for a deal between Greece and its creditors with Jack Lew, the US treasury Secretary, holding phone calls with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to push for an agreement in a “delicate” situation. "The Prime Minister had a phone conversation with US Treasury secretary Jack Lew in [...]
Lloyds Banking Group share price dips as government slashes its stake June 23, 2015 Shares in Lloyds Banking Group dipped to 86.9p this morning after it emerged the government had cut its stake in the bailed-out bank to less than 17 per cent. This could be among the final tranches of shares sold to institutional investors: chancellor George Osborne has said the government was planning to wrap up its current [...]
David Cameron says he will stop the welfare merry-go-round June 22, 2015 Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed to end what he called the “ridiculous merry-go-round” of taxing low earners only to give them generous welfare handouts. Speaking at a school in Cheshire, the Prime Minister said yesterday: “We need to move from a low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, lower tax, [...]
Cameron must take control of EU reform negotiations before referendum says Conservative rebel Tim Loughton June 22, 2015 David Cameron has been told by Conservative rebels to grab EU referendum negotiations by the scruff of the neck. Read more: EU referendum could be held October 2016, according to government source The former children’s minister, Tim Loughton, said leaving the reform plan to civil servants would end up with negotiations turning to mush. Loughton rebelled [...]
EU president Donald Tusk describes Greek offer as the “first real proposals in many weeks” as Euro Summit kicks off June 22, 2015 EU council president Donald Tusk has said Greece’s proposals are the “first real proposals in many weeks” as the Euro Summit on Greece kicks off. Read more: Athens stocks bounce as Greece outlines proposals Markets have rallied today, as hope grows that a deal will be reached in the coming days. It is considered unlikely [...]