Octopus scoops up Avro Energy clients as it looks to make move on Bulb September 26, 2021 Octopus Energy will take on the more-than half a million Avro Energy customers left without a provider after the challenger collapsed into administration, Ofgem has confirmed. Avro Energy, which serves 580,000 domestic gas and electricity customers (around two per cent of the entire market), collapsed earlier this month and the company has since been under [...]
British Airways ditches Gatwick after union scuppers plans for cut-price subsidiary September 23, 2021 British Airways has canned plans to launch a budget subsidiary based out of Gatwick airport and will instead pull out of the airport permanently. BA pulled operations out of Gatwick at the beginning of the Covid pandemic and had planned to relaunch there, but with a budget unit. However, the launch a short-haul subsidiary at [...]
Startup city: Square Mile investors make London the top place after Silicon Valley for tech firms September 22, 2021 London is second only to Silicon Valley for the best place for startups to thrive, according to a definitive ranking of the world’s major tech and business hubs. The capital tied with New York in second place to the Californian area synonymous with billion-dollar valuations and tech bros – and far ahead of the next [...]
Markets: FTSE 100 slumps to near three-month low September 20, 2021 The FTSE 100 index dipped 0.86 per cent today, closing at 6,904, as financial stocks and mining companies were hammered. The capital’s premiere index fell to lows of 6,828, down 1.6 per cent compared to the previous close, as concerns about inflation spooked investors. Financial stocks led the declines with Prudential down 8.4 per cent [...]
Brexit: EU boss Sefcovic warns Northern Ireland protocol haggling will prompt ‘instability’ September 10, 2021 European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic today said the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol – a policy of trade checks for good moving between Great Britain and the EU via the island of Ireland – must be “properly implemented”. The Brussels representative also warned the UK that any renegotiation of the Northern Ireland Protocol would cause “instability, [...]
No more green lists and amber lists? Traffic light system set to go by October September 9, 2021 The traffic light system for travel during the Covid era – detested by the industry as complex and unecessary – looks set to be replaced, with an announcement due by the end of the month. The UK government is due to assess the necessity of the system, which delegates destinations as green list, amber list [...]
Emma Raducanu into US Open semi-finals as dream run continues September 8, 2021 The next British teen tennis star Emma Raducanu extended her dream run at the US Open by beating Belinda Bencic 6-3 6-4 to reach the semi-finals. The 18-year-old Kent native became the first qualifier in US Open history to reach the last four after beating the reigning Olympic champion. Raducanu, ranked 361 in the world [...]
Smiths Group shares jump after it gets ‘superior’ £1.75bn offer for medical unit September 8, 2021 FTSE-100 tech company Smiths Group was among the biggest gainers today after it agreed to sell its medical unit to ICU Medical for around £1.75bn. Smiths could also bank a $100m bonus from the deal, dependant on the ICU Medical’s future share price. It led Smiths to recommend shareholders back the new “superior” offer instead [...]
Shakespeare on advertising: Wetherspoons beer shortages hit public perceptions September 8, 2021 Cut-price pub chain JD Wetherspoon was in the news recently following reports that supplies of Heineken, Carling, and Coors have run out in some of its locations across the UK. While some have argued that Brexit has impacted supply chains, company founder Tim Martin has attributed the issues to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Whatever the [...]
David Davis blasts voter ID plan as ‘illiberal’ solution as bill passes first hurdle September 7, 2021 Former Brexit Secretary David Davis has hit out at UK Government plans to introduce voter ID laws at future general elections. Davis said the plans to demand potential voters produce photgraphic ID is an “illiberal” solution in search of a “non-existent problem”. The Elections Bill will make it a requirement for voters to show an [...]
