Asda completes £611m swoop for Co-op’s petrol business October 31, 2022 Asda has completed a £600m deal to buy the Co-op’s petrol business Asda this morning. The deal includes 129 petrol forecourt sites, spread across the UK and represents five per cent of Co-op’s retail estate of 2,564 stores. Co-op said it would use the proceeds to reinvest in the convenience business and reduce net [...]
Collapse of landmark tax deal could result in trade wars, OECD tax chief warns October 31, 2022 The US and Europe risk reigniting trade wars and losing hundreds of billions in tax revenue if they fail to implement the major global tax deal agreed to last year, the OECD’s departing tax chief has warned. The landmark tax deal, which ensure major multinational corporations with annual revenues of more than €750m (£643m) are [...]
Awkward questions in Canary Wharf as HSBC accused of pumping ‘sustainable bonds’ into fossil fuels October 31, 2022 HSBC has allegedly pumped billions of dollars into fossil fuels, deforestation and air travel and labelled it “sustainable finance”. A new investigation investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and the BBC has suggested that at least $2.4bn of deals that the bank counts towards its sustainability goals were actually contributing to climate change. HSBC has committed [...]
Is Elon Musk a free speech champion or a bombastic fool? Perhaps, he’s both October 31, 2022 Finally, it has happened. In a story with more drama and grandstanding than Wagner’s Ring Cycle, Elon Musk has bought Twitter for $44bn. The man himself announced the success of his deal in a tweet – of course. He has also dubbed himself “Chief Twit”, with which some may agree for the wrong reasons. There [...]
The new government must combine growth with stability, betting big on our trade links October 31, 2022 Now that the turmoil in Westminster has abated, households and businesses across the UK will be hoping that the era of Rishi Sunak’s government will be slightly duller than what preceded it. Stability is an asset that has traditionally underpinned our international attractiveness and competitiveness. It is a cornerstone of the UK’s appeal across the [...]
Time to make the switch: a green pension can be your most impactful investment October 31, 2022 Last week London was hit by a mini-heatwave, with temperatures as high as Spain in October, a month in which Londoners usually start putting on their warm coats. As temperatures rise, concerns about our impact on the environment do too. Hot weather exacerbates our eco-anxiety, according to the World Economic Forum think tank. Our thoughts [...]
UK businesses optimistic about exports despite ongoing Brexit trouble October 31, 2022 UK businesses are optimistic about their future exports despite grappling with trade disruption caused by Brexit, a new report out today reveals. Some 42 per cent of firms expect their exports to grow over the next year, according to a survey by business lobby group the Institute of Directors (IoD). A series of free trade [...]
Soaring interest rates could spark five per cent London house price fall October 31, 2022 Soaring interest rates and a tough cost of living crisis could send London house prices on a downward spiral, new research published today warns. Home prices in the capital are on course to shed five per cent next year, driven by sellers dropping prices to attract buyers hit by an affordability crunch, according to property [...]
London’s businesses need more affordable housing for their young staff October 31, 2022 Few of Britain’s problems could not be solved by putting shovels into the ground. Nowhere is that more true than when it comes to housing – a shortage that could, if left unchecked, become a brake on the entire country’s economic growth. On our front page today we report on a potential fall in London [...]
Letters: The FCA is on the attack October 31, 2022 [Re: FCA poised to clampdown on greenwashing with ‘ESG’ curbs, 25 Oct] The FCA comments on greenwashing shouldn’t come as a surprise: the FCA has been flagging greenwashing as a concern for some time. Moreover, it’s a continuation of the FCA’s work in other areas to ensure that every product ‘does what it says on [...]
