National living wage to hit convenience stores including Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s September 24, 2015 Convenience retailers warned today that they may have to reduce staff hours or cut jobs entirely to fund George Osborne’s national living wage of £9 for over-25s by 2020. Britain’s convenience sector employs around 407,000 staff and consists of around 50,000 stores – of which fewer than 2,500 are run by Tesco, Morrisons and [...]
PPI mis-selling claims deadline: Britain’s biggest banking scandal could soon be coming to an end September 24, 2015 The end of the £25bn payment protection insurance (PPI) mis-selling scandal could be in sight, with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) set to meet today to discuss potentially imposing a deadline for claims. The regulator’s management will discuss the possibility of a ‘time-bar exercise’ during a board meeting today, according to Sky News. Banks will [...]
Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn forced to quit over car emissions scandal as more heads set to roll after talk of criminal probe September 24, 2015 Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn has bowed to pressure and quit, accepting responsibility for the diesel emissions scandal that has all but destroyed the reputation of the German carmaker in recent days. Winterkorn is unlikely to be the only casualty of the emissions scandal. The embattled company’s executive committee said yesterday that it is [...]
Capital One Cup: Chelsea could not afford to lose, says Jose September 24, 2015 WALSALL 1 CHELSEA 4 CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho admitted that his side’s indifferent start to the season rendered the notion of a giant-killing unthinkable after the Blues eased into round four with a commanding victory at Walsall last night. The defending champions held a convincing two-goal lead courtesy of strikes from midfielder Ramires and France [...]
Rugby World Cup: Laidlaw: More to come from Scots September 24, 2015 SCOTLAND 45 JAPAN 10 SCOTLAND skipper Greg Laidlaw insisted that his side are primed for a sustained Rugby World Cup charge after opening their tournament with a bonus-point victory against surprise package Japan in Gloucester yesterday. Four successful penalties from Laidlaw, who ended the clash with 20 points to his name, helped the Scots to [...]
Capital One Cup: Wenger reaps rewards of Flamini staying a Gunner September 24, 2015 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1 ARSENAL 2 ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger hailed “fighter” Mathieu Flamini after the out-of-favour midfielder’s brace inspired a Capital One Cup derby victory last night. The 31-year-old, who almost left the club in the summer, scored both goals on his first appearance of the season — the decisive second a rasping volley from [...]
Volkswagen emissions scandal: We need more power for shareholders, not less – The City View September 23, 2015 This column warned yesterday that people already suspicious of the motivations and practices of the corporate world would be buoyed by the scandal engulfing Volkswagen. A cloud of noxious fumes still lingers around the reputation of the carmaker, and is likely to do so for a long time yet. So it is with [...]
HS2 bidding: Osborne urges Chinese firms to bid on High Speed rail 2 partner deals worth £11.8bn September 23, 2015 Chancellor George Osborne is firing the starting gun on the government’s High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project today by inviting companies to bid on at least seven new contracts worth £11.8bn. The chancellor will announce the bidding process for phase one of the HS2 project at an event in Chengdu, China today. A Treasury spokesperson [...]
UK housing crisis: Surveyors say older households key to tackling homes shortage September 23, 2015 Incentivising older homeowners to move into smaller properties or retirement homes could help free up almost three million family homes, a report today claimed. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors has published a policy review today setting out a number of recommendations on how the government could do more to tackle the UK’s housing crisis. [...]
Quintain takeover heats up after activist investor Elliott weighs in September 23, 2015 Activist hedge fund Elliott has swooped in and taken control of a 12.9 per cent stake in Wembley Arena owner Quintain, as it looks to put pressure on Lone Star to increase its £700m bid. Elliott, which successfully forced change at Alliance Trust this year, has bought 67,950,000 shares using a contract for difference, paying [...]
