Explainer: Why Waitrose is no longer the jewel in the John Lewis crown and how the group’s future may lie in property, not produce March 17, 2023 Times are tough for John Lewis as chair Sharon White admitted when the high street stalwart this week announced it had made a £234m loss in 2022. The sum was worse than market expectations and marked the second year the upmarket retailer had gone into the red. In a sympathetic letter addressed to the company’s [...]
TikTok denies Chinese state collusion after UK government bans social media app use on devices March 17, 2023 Chinese-owned company TikTok has said it is “disappointed” by the government’s decision to ban the social media app on MPs’ phones. The social media video app has been at the centre of security and data protection concerns in recent weeks – with Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden announcing the decision in parliament yesterday. Speaking yesterday [...]
Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit crashes back to earth as firm pauses operation to secure more funding March 17, 2023 Richard Branson’s satellite launch firm Virgin Orbit has paused operations, the company said, amid reports that it is working to secure additional funding. The news comes after the company, which is based in California, failed in its first ever satellite mission from UK soil in January. In a statement, the company said: “Virgin Orbit is initiating a company-wide operational pause, [...]
First Republic: US stocks rally after 11 banks including JP Morgan, Citi and Goldman stump up $30bn in rescue effort March 17, 2023 US stocks rallied on Thursday after a group of big banks offered a lifeline to the bank that investors had zeroed in on in their hunt for the industry’s next victim. The S&P 500 jumped 1.8 per cent for its best day in nearly two months after 11 of the biggest banks said they would [...]
Rolls-Royce wins funding to develop nuclear reactor for Moon exploration March 17, 2023 Rolls-Royce has received £2.9m funding from the UK Space Agency to develop a nuclear reactor for a Moon base.
Royal Mail referred to Ofcom after claims boss ‘misled’ MPs over tracking of staff March 17, 2023 MPs have urged regulator Ofcom to launch an enforcement investigation into Royal Mail after claiming they were “misled” by the CEO’s evidence over the tracking of staff in parliament last month. Concerns over digitally tracking productivity, “systemically” failing in its legal duty to deliver letters six days a week and issues of sick pay being [...]
Ofgem smacks supplier with £2.1m mega-fine for overcharging customers March 17, 2023 Ofgem has slapped United Gas & Power with a hefty £2.1m fine after determining it had breached its licence conditions.
Exclusive: Home REIT investors push for sweeping tenant clear-out in rescue plan March 17, 2023 Home REIT investors are pushing for a clear-out of its tenant base as part of rescue plans drawn up by the firm vying to become its new investment manager, City A.M. has learned.
Ten years of tightened control over London’s funding has stunted our growth March 17, 2023 For years we’ve been promised more devolution, but none of that has translated into more control over how we use money in London and it’s curtailing our growth, writes Paul Honeyben
Why childcare reforms probably won’t get parents back to work March 17, 2023 Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak are betting big on childcare reforms to boost the economy, but many mothers will still choose to stay at home, writes Len Shackleton.
