Supermarket wars: Morrisons puts £25m into price cuts in bid to break back into ‘big four’ February 20, 2023 Morrisons is cutting prices across a range of its own-brand products as it joins a string of supermarkets battling to retain customers while living costs soar. The supermarket, which was recently pushed out of the “big four” UK grocers by discounter Aldi, said it has invested £25 million into the price cuts. Some 64 cupboard [...]
The Musk effect: Meta testing Facebook and Instagram subscription service for £10 a month February 20, 2023 Meta is testing a new subscription service that would let Facebook and Instagram users pay for a verified account – taking a page out of Elon Musk and Twitter’s book. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Meta Verified on his social media accounts on Sunday. Testing will begin in New Zealand and Australia this week and will roll [...]
Audit reform plans ‘ready to go’ but government delays now holding UK back, accountancy chief warns February 20, 2023 The UK government’s failure to overhaul the country’s audit sector risks seeing Britain lose its position as a world-leading investment hub, the head of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales has warned. ICAEW chief Michael Izza told City A.M. continued delays to the UK’s planned reshaping of the country’s audit sector could see foreign investors [...]
Calling the consultants’ bluff: The Big Con author on reining in the power of consulting firms February 20, 2023 Rosie Collington is seeking to call the consulting sector’s bluff. The UCL researcher is on a mission to challenge the notion that “consultancies exist on the scale and scope they do today because they create value in the economy.” Collington — one author of ‘The Big Con: How the consulting industry weakens our businesses, infantilizes our governments [...]
Tech sector needs a ‘shot in the arm’ to make UK’s Silicon Valley dreams come true, industry says February 20, 2023 Britain’s ambition to create its own Silicon Valley is achievable but only if the government implements a long-term strategy to boost domestic and foreign confidence in the country’s tech sector, industry experts have warned. Last month, business secretary Grant Shapps set out plans to create a “Silicon Valley with a British edge”. Trade association techUK [...]
BP and Shell: Will the mega profits of energy giants power our greener future? February 20, 2023 BP and Shell have pledged to ramp up renewable spending to meet the UK's climate and energy security goals, but can we trust them?
Concerns raised with EU’s new clearing regulations as it aims to lure market to bloc February 20, 2023 Experts have warned that financial institutions operating in the clearing market are likely to face increasing costs as the EU brings in new regulations to grow its domestic clearing market. Under proposals announced in December, central counterparty clearing houses (CCPs) – an institution that helps manage the risks that might arise if one counterparty defaults [...]
UK risks missing energy goals due to poor investment climate, industry body warns February 20, 2023 Britain’s climate targets and energy security goals are at risk from its poor investment environment, warns Energy UK.
Lloyds Bank profit poised to be held back by setting aside millions to cope with cost of living defaults February 20, 2023 A build up of reserves to cope with an expected jump in loan defaults and a slow down in the mortgage market is expected to have held back profits at Lloyds Bank last year, results out on Wednesday could show. Britain’s biggest mortgage lender is poised to be the latest bank to underwhelm markets in [...]
High fares are putting Londoners off public transport, new data reveals February 20, 2023 High TfL ticket prices are deterring more than one third of Londoners from using the Tube, buses and trains, data has revealed. Some 37 per cent of Londoners said ticket prices put them off using the capital’s transit networks, according to a survey by Hitachi Rail. It also found that more Londoners are put off [...]
