Brexit: UK and EU to resume talks after reported breakthrough on fishing December 7, 2020 The UK and EU will continue Brexit talks this week in Brussels after Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen agreed to give negotiations a final shot today. Johnson and von der Leyen are believed to have spoken for two hours this evening to discus if a deal can be finally agreed before the 31 [...]
UK consumers question sustainability of challenger banks December 7, 2020 UK consumers are worried about the long-term survival of digital challenger banks, according to a new report. Accenture’s Global Banking Study reveals 45 per cent of consumers believed that neobanks would exist in 12 months’ time. Additionally, just a tenth placed “a lot” of trust in the fintechs to look after their data, compared to [...]
Cisco snaps up London firm IMI Mobile in $730m deal December 7, 2020 US tech giant Cisco has agreed to buy London-based software company IMI Mobile in a $730m deal. IMI Mobile provides software and services for enterprise and its customers include BT, Hermes and O2. The tech firm will pay 595 pence per share in exchange for each IMI Mobile share, assuming fully diluted shares, net of [...]
Kingfisher joins supermarkets in returning business rates relief December 7, 2020 DIY retailer Kingfisher has joined a list of retailers announcing plans to repay millions in business rates relief it received at the start of the pandemic. The FTSE 100 firm has announced it will pay back £130m in tax relief, pointing to strong sales since it reopened its UK stores in April amid high demand [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group confirms Debenhams rescue talks December 7, 2020 Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group confirmed it is in negotiations with Debenhams for a potential rescue deal, a week after the department store fell into administration. In a statement this morning, Frasers Group confirmed it is in talks with Debenhams’ administrators “regarding a potential rescue transaction”. It came with the caveat that there was little time [...]
Minister does not rule out Covid vaccine passports December 7, 2020 A government minister has refused to rule out a Covid vaccine passport to allow people access to places such as pubs and restaurants once the jab has become available. Junior foreign office minister James Cleverly told Sky News: “Having confidence is important and that’s what the [vaccine] rollout plan is all about.” The NHS has [...]
Posters and adverts aren’t enough to prepare business for Brexit, says BCC December 7, 2020 Businesses still don’t have enough information available on Brexit in critical areas with just 24 days to go until the end of the transition period, an industry body has warned. The British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) has warned that the government’s Brexit guidance remains insufficient in a number of key areas. Its Brexit guidance dashboard [...]
Tech body calls on government to commit to digital levelling up December 7, 2020 A leading industry body has called on the government to commit to a digital levelling up after the pandemic highlighted stark regional differences. Tech UK, a trade association for the industry, has today launched a report into how to strengthen the UK’s “Local Digital Capital”. Scrutiny on tech and the availability of it has come [...]
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer self-isolating for the second time December 5, 2020 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is back in self-isolation after a member of his staff tested positive for coronavirus. It will be the second time Starmer has had to quarantine after one of his children showed symptoms in September. The opposition leader is not thought to be showing any symptoms but will have to remain [...]
FTSE Russell drops eight Chinese companies after Trump order December 5, 2020 Index provider FTSE Russell has said it will remove eight Chinese companies from some of its indices after President Trump banned US investors from holding stakes in the businesses. FTSE Russell said the companies, which include China Railway Construction and video security firm Hikvision, would be removed from its FTSE global equity indices and the [...]
