General Elections 2015: Bookies’ odds of two elections in one year just shortened to 4/1 April 7, 2015 As things hot up on the campaign trail, it's looking increasingly likely the result is going to be decidedly, er, indecisive: Ladbrokes has even shortened its odds of two elections in one year to 4/1, down from 10/1. And although the two parties are neck and neck in the polls, at the bookies the Conservatives [...]
UK services sector activity surges as PMI jumps in March April 7, 2015 Activity in the UK's services sector surged in March, new data suggests: Markit's purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 58.9 in March, its highest in seven months. Not only was the figure a sharp rise on the previous month's reading of 56.7, it was also way above the 57 analysts were expecting. Any figure above 50 [...]
UK property prices: Have renters given up on owning their own home? Just 40 per cent of renters are saving for a house April 7, 2015 The UK's renters have given up on graduating to property ownership, it seems – after new research suggested just 43 per cent of renters aged between 20 and 45 are saving to buy a home. The figure has fallen by six percentage points since last year, Halifax's Generation Rent report showed. More than half [...]
Ryanair share price rises as passengers soar more than a quarter in March April 7, 2015 Confirmation Ryanair's attempts to show its softer side are working? Passenger numbers at the airline rose 28 per cent in March, figures published this morning showed. Ryanair said it carried 6.7m passengers during the month, up from 5.2m in March last year. Its load factor – how full its planes were, on average – rose [...]
Have brands “hijacked” Easter? I’d say it’s an egg-cellent idea April 5, 2015 It’s funny how we so often link food to religious events: hot-cross buns on Good Friday; Pancakes on Shrove Tuesday and Simnel cake during Lent. So who could blame brands trying to do the same thing: Coco-Cola’s land-grab for the Christmas holidays – and, more relevant to this time of year, Cadburys' chocolate egg-gifting [...]
Why over-50s in Edinburgh, Leeds and Sheffield have the best standards of living in the UK April 2, 2015 If you're over 50, it may be time to venture beyond the Watford Gap, new research has suggested – because the five places offering the best standards of living for those who are either retired or heading towards retirement are in the North. According to the Over 50s Living Standards Report, by Rias, Edinburgh offers [...]
400 jobs cut at EDF’s Hinkley nuclear power station project April 2, 2015 French power giant EDF has cut 400 contractors' jobs at the £16bn Hinkley Point C power station. In a statement, the company said because negotiations with potential investment partners have been delayed, it was not prepared to keep investing in the project – although it will continue to make preparations for the next phase of [...]
UK house prices: Sutton, Cambridge and Watford top the list of the UK’s property hotspots April 2, 2015 It's home to Channel 4 series PhoneShop. And, er, other things. Alright, so Sutton might not be the most glamorous place in the commuter belt – but it turns out that when it comes to the race up the housing ladder, the town is heavily in-demand. That's according to online estate agent Emoov, whose latest Property [...]
Holborn fire: Incredible pictures of parts of London in darkness last night April 2, 2015 As if photos of smoke streaming from underneath manhole covers weren't dramatic enough, as a result of last night's blaze in Holborn, power in an entire section of central London was knocked out – plunging major thoroughfares including Kingsway, Holborn, Aldwych and the Strand into an eerie darkness. The fire is still raging today. Here's [...]
HP’s claims against Autonomy management and Mike Lynch just made us even more confused: Here’s who’s suing who April 1, 2015 After years of HP and the former management of Autonomy merrily hurling various threats at one another, yesterday HP finally made the first move, filing a lawsuit in the High Court alleging "fraudulent activity" by former Autonomy executives Mike Lynch and Sushovan Hussain. The move came after nearly three years of to-ing and fro-ing between [...]
