Axa chief executive and chairman Henri de Castries steps down as role is split in two March 21, 2016 Axa chairman and chief executive Henri de Castries will retire on 1 September, after 27 years at the group and nearly 17 years at the helm. He is being replaced by two people: Thomas Buberl will take over as chief executive while Denis Duverne will become chairman. The decision to split the role was agreed unanimously at a special meeting [...]
From the Budget 2016 and Brexit to Cheltenham and the world’s first pizza robot: Here’s what got us talking this week March 18, 2016 Humanities students were given a fright in this week's Budget. Getting pizza suddenly got a lot easier. And we learned that when it comes to houses, Britons don't dream big. Bookies have had to pay out £50m already at Cheltenham according to William Hill (Source: Getty) 1) Budget blues Whether you were a sugar lover or a second [...]
Sainsbury’s confirms bid for Argos parent Home Retail Group as Steinhoff walks away to buy Darty March 18, 2016 Sainsbury’s has confirmed a final offer for Home Retail Group, which will value the parent of Argos at £1.4bn, after rival suitor Steinhoff backed away this afternoon. The supermarket’s bid is a combined shares and cash offer, of 0.321 new Sainsbury’s shares per HRG share and 55p a share in cash. In addition, shareholders will receive [...]
Budget 2016: With the appointment of Lord Heseltine to lead Thames Estuary Growth Commission is the government finally taking the Thames Estuary’s potential seriously? March 18, 2016 Asking someone to agree on the parameters of the Thames Estuary, one of the largest inlets on the coast of the United Kingdom, is almost as hard as asking someone to decide on the best way to unlock its economic potential. The 146 mile Estuary, once the launching place of England's great ships of exploration [...]
UBS: European Court of Human Rights accepts petition to challenge French court ruling on helping clients avoid tax March 18, 2016 UBS has won the support of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to push through a challenge to a French ruling over whether it helped clients avoid tax. The Swiss bank said in its accounts filed today that the Strasbourgh-based ECHR had accepted a petition to challenge parts of the decision. UBS was placed under formal examination in [...]
Earth Hour 2016: London landmarks Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Gherkin, Piccadilly Circus, Harrods and the Ritz will all black out lights this weekend March 18, 2016 Some of London's most iconic buildings will switch off their lights for an hour this weekend, as part of a global environmental initiative. Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, the Gherkin, Piccadilly Circus, Harrods and the Ritz are all expected to take part in the capital's blackout, which starts at 8:30pm on Saturday (19 March). They will be [...]
Forget Downton Abbey-style estates, swimming pools or chocolate-box cottages, Britain’s dream house is a run-of-the-mill detached property in commuter zone March 18, 2016 Spend your days dreaming of a mansion so big you can avoid the rest of your family? You are, apparently, in the minority. New research suggests that even when money is no object, the nation's ideal home is more modest than you might have thought. Forget Downton Abbey-style estates – our dream home is a south-facing [...]
EU referendum: A Brexit would consign George Osborne’s Budget plans to the bin and put in jeopardy hopes of future growth. March 18, 2016 George Osborne’s Budget this week was mostly welcomed by the business community. But, his Budget plans for this year and beyond will be blown out of the water by Brexit, which the Office for Budget Responsibility warns is the biggest risk to the UK’s future prosperity, shattering its growth forecasts. And Brexit is increasingly likely [...]
EU referendum: Hargreaves Lansdown boss Peter Hargreaves backs Brexit March 18, 2016 Hargreaves Lansdown founder Peter Hargreaves has said he backs the UK leaving the European Union, the latest City bigwig to come out in support of Brexit. Hargreaves, who founded the Bristol-based finance firm in 1981, told the BBC a "fresh start" would help the country become more innovative. "I'm firmly convinced, that day – hopefully – [...]
Deutsche Borse’s takeover of LSE like “Germany selling BMW to Britain”, says former BCC boss John Longworth March 18, 2016 John Longworth, recently-ousted director general of the British Chamber of Commerce, has slammed the so-called "merger of equals" between Deutsche Borse and LSE, calling on MPs to intervene before the deal goes through. Longworth, who was forced to resign just over a week ago after publicly supporting a Brexit, has warned the move could damage the [...]
