Transport for London’s proposed five-minute rule for Uber and other taxi apps will cost drivers £19m a year November 3, 2015 Drivers of Uber cabs could stand to lose as much as £19m a year if new proposals by Transport for London (TfL) forcing operators of taxi apps to make their passengers wait five minutes before a pick-up come into effect. Research published by Uber today found its drivers will be out of pocket by an average of [...]
Association of British Insurers: Sales of annuities have picked up despite new pension freedoms November 3, 2015 Annuity sales rose to 22,380, worth £1.17bn, during the third quarter of 2015, the first time quarter-on-quarter sales have risen for three years, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) revealed at its Biennial Conference today. By comparison, annuity sales for the second quarter of 2015 where 18,200, worth £990m. Figures from the ABI also revealed that [...]
Barratt, Berkeley Group, Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey share prices fall as Liberum brands housebuilders “overvalued” November 3, 2015 Is this another sign of the much-anticipated bubble? Shares in some of the UK's largest housebuilders fell this morning after one broker downgraded them to "sell". In a note this morning, Charlie Campbell of Liberum cut Barratt, Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey, saying the largest housebuilders' valuations were "too optimistic". All three were among the biggest fallers on [...]
UK house prices: It’s not just London where luxury house price growth is slowing – prime property price growth is slowing across the world November 3, 2015 It's well known that price growth among London's most high-end properties has slowed in recent months as various factors – including a punishing stamp duty regime and a slowdown in China – took effect. But it turns out it's not just London where prices have slowed: growth is slowing across the world. The Prime Global Cities [...]
Bosses admit to checking up on employees’ sick days via social media, asking other workers to call them – and even driving past their homes to check they’re not faking it November 3, 2015 As the nights draw in and the weather becomes colder, the number of people taking days off is also about to jump. And it turns out managers are a suspicious bunch – after new research found 40 per cent of bosses check up on their staff to make sure they're actually sick. According to a study [...]
Reaction Engines: Tiny Oxfordshire space company gets massive injection of cash from BAE Systems November 2, 2015 Is this the UK's coolest startup? Reaction Engines, a tiny Oxfordshire business which aims to create the world's first combined rocket and jet engine aircraft, has raised £20.6m from defence giant BAE Systems, it announced today. The company is developing an engine which would allow an aircraft to take off horizontally like a plane, then use a [...]
Northern Ireland has the UK’s worst mobile phone network coverage – but smartphone users in the South East are also suffering November 2, 2015 The South East may be one of the UK's most built-up areas – but it's also one of the worst when it comes to mobile network coverage, a new study has found. The research, by Cable.co.uk. found 29.3 per cent of people in the region experience a "notspot" – an area with no network coverage [...]
Thomas Cook Corfu review: Former Sainbury’s boss Justin King accuses travel firm of “significant” shortcomings after deaths of Bobby and Christi Shepherd in 2006 November 2, 2015 The former boss of Sainsbury's has accused Thomas Cook of having "significant" shortcomings in the run-up to the deaths of two children in Corfu in 2006. Justin King's review into the deaths of Bobby and Christi Shepherd, aged six and seven, who died of carbon monoxide poisoning at a hotel in Corfu, accused the company of putting [...]
Heathrow Airport taxi crash: Emergency services attend as minicab driver smashes into Terminal 5 November 2, 2015 Emergency services were in attendance after a car crashed into the departures area of Terminal 5 at London Heathrow Airport this morning. It was suggested that the car was a taxi, whose driver had a heart attack, although those reports have not been confirmed. https://twitter.com/airlivenet/status/661124964632936448 A spokesperson for Heathrow Airport confirmed that there had been a "road incident" [...]
The very highest-paying job specialisms in the finance sector include structurer, trader, M&A and leveraged finance November 2, 2015 The UK's finance sector is regarded by many as one of the best in the world when it comes to salaries – and for good reason: one study has found more UK bankers received €1m (£711,000)-plus bonuses than the rest of the EU combined. But how to get to the top of the top? Salary [...]
