Commuter misery: Regulated rail fares to rise by up to 5.9 per cent from next spring December 22, 2022 Rail fares in England are set to surge as much as 5.9 per cent from spring next year, after calls for a fare freeze have fallen on deaf ears. Regulated fares will go up from 5 March, with the Department for Transport calling this “the biggest-ever government intervention” in prices for train tickets. However, campaigners [...]
Made.com board proposes formal liquidation of collapsed furniture firm December 22, 2022 Shareholders of Made.com have been encouraged to back a board proposal to formally wind down the furniture firm through a member’s voluntary liquidation. In an update to the London Stock Exchange, the collapsed homeware firm said this would allow liquidators to realise its remaining assets pending completion of its administration. It would also allow the [...]
UK economy contracts by more than first thought in third quarter as it heads for recession December 22, 2022 The UK economy contracted by more than first thought in the third quarter, with gross domestic product (GDP) dropping by a higher revised amount. GDP fell by a revised 0.3 per cent, compared to an initial estimation of a 0.2 per cent decline, fresh figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed on Thursday. It [...]
London businesses lament dismal start to 2023 after another rail strike set for January December 20, 2022 Hospitality leaders have reiterated calls for rail firms and unions to hash out an eleventh-hour resolution to swerve January strikes, after train drivers announced another walk-out. Train drivers at 15 companies in the union Aslef have agreed to strike on 5 January, as part of a long-standing pay dispute. The walkout will take place on [...]
More than 1,000 City workers evacuated after ruptured gas main December 20, 2022 Firefighters evacuated around 1,300 office workers and shoppers in the City of London after a ruptured gas main on Tuesday afternoon. The London Fire Brigade said that its firefighters were attending a rupture on Seething Lane, in the heart of the Square Mile. The service said around 1,300 people had been evacuated from surrounding shops [...]
Relief for mortgage prisoners: Six banks to begin lending on flats with unsafe cladding December 20, 2022 A handful of the country’s biggest banks will consider mortgage applications for some flats with dangerous cladding from January, in a sigh of relief for people trapped in unsellable properties. Lenders withdrew mortgage provisions for unsafe flats following the Grenfell Tower disaster, when 72 people were killed in a fire at a high-rise block in [...]
Left in the dark: Business chiefs fear redundancies after energy relief update delayed December 20, 2022 Business leaders have accused the government of leaving firms in the dark over energy bill support, after ministers push back an announcement of what aid will be on offer later next year. The government had previously said it would update businesses before the end of the year on energy bill relief from April 2023, when [...]
Bunzl acquires four firms and sells healthcare arm December 20, 2022 Bunzl has acquired four businesses and has agreed to sell its UK healthcare division. The specialist distribution group, which sells global businesses a variety of products from coffee cups to cafes, food wrap to supermarkets, and cleaning materials to hospitals, said the transactions would be profit neutral. The FTSE-100 firm said it would sell its [...]
Purplebricks: Shareholders reject motion to oust chair after dismal financial performance December 19, 2022 Purplebricks’ shareholders rejected a proposal to oust the online estate agency’s chair as its head insisted that improvements were on the way. The troubled firm said a proposal by major shareholder Lecram Holdings to remove Paul Pindar was rejected. Some 71.71 per cent of votes in a general meeting were against the resolution proposed by [...]
Rail strikes had ‘deeper than expected’ impact on bars December 19, 2022 Rail strike chaos over the past week had a worse impact than anticipated on clubs and bars, according to one industry group leader. Rail staff walked-out over pay and conditions last week, with dates falling on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and Saturday. Hospitality bosses had urged union leaders and rail firms to hash out a [...]
