EV and low emission zones are not a panacea says e-bike boss October 24, 2021 Electric cars are not a “panacea that’s gonna fix everything”, said David Watkins, chief operating officer and cofounder of e-bike subscription service DASH Rides. “A more sustainable city is not going to be car-focused, even if that car is an electric vehicle,” he told City A.M. “We need to move to a different way of [...]
ITV and Michael Grade eye Channel 4 takeover October 24, 2021 The former chief executive of Channel 4 Lord Grade and ITV are reportedly mulling takeover bids amid government plans to privatise the network. Lord Grade, who was at the helm of Channel 4 between 1988 and 1997 and also chaired the BBC and ITV, is considering snapping up the network The Times first reported. Earlier [...]
BP paid ex-MI6 agents to snoop on peaceful climate campaigner October 24, 2021 BP has hired a private intelligence company set up by former MI6 agents to spy on a peaceful climate activist, according to a joint investigation from The Sunday Times and OpenDemocracy. The oil and gas giant has been using the intelligence firm to monitor a man who has highlighted its investment in fossil fuels. Chris [...]
Tory peer calls for greater scrutiny of quangos by parliament October 24, 2021 The number of quangos is steadily growing under Boris Johnson’s government and they should be more accountable to parliament, according to a new report. A report by Tory peer Lord Andrew Tyrie is calling for an “oversight panel” that would hand parliamentary committees the “tools and expertise” to scrutinise quangos. A recent report by Westminster’s [...]
Budget: Government to invest £3bn in “skills revolution” October 24, 2021 The Chancellor of the Exchequer will use the budget to announce a £3bn investment in skills and education to help Brits find higher paid jobs. The cash injection aims to fuel economic growth by increasing the provision of post-16 eduction and creating opportunities for people wishing to enter high value sectors such as AI, cybersecurity, [...]
Labour calls for vaccine passports as part of Plan B restrictions in winter October 24, 2021 Labour has today called for the government to bring back Covid restrictions this winter, after a pair of rapid U-turns on the issue. Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said Boris Johnson should advise people to work from home, while also making face masks and vaccine passports mandatory as a part of the government’s Plan B Covid [...]
Landlords: Government fund falls short for renters struggling with Covid debts October 24, 2021 Fresh government funding to help vulnerable renters struggling with Covid debts has been described as falling short. A £65m support package for those battling Covid rent debts was revealed this weekend by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. English councils will be able to help low-income households at risk of eviction or homelessness [...]
TSB turns down ‘£1bn merger approach’ from Co-Operative Bank October 24, 2021 Co-operative Bank’s £1bn-plus offer for TSB has been rebuffed by its Spanish owners. Sabadell’s board decided to reject the offer at the end of September. The deal would have created a high street lender with 340 branches and over eight million customers, according to Sky News, which first reported the acquisition attempt. This would encompass [...]
Missguided seeks rescue plan as supply chain chaos strains finances October 24, 2021 Missguided’s multimillionaire owner is scrambling to save the fast fashion brand from supply chain pressures. The online retailer has been hit by a perfect storm of price rises and delivery disruption. Missguided founder Nitin Passi is thought to be in talks with City crisis experts from AlixPartners to look at dramatic restructuring options, according to [...]
Saudi Arabia announces 2060 net zero target ahead of COP26 climate summit October 24, 2021 Saudi Arabia has pledged to cut carbon emissions and reach net zero by 2060. Crown prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the country will push its climate agenda while maintaining its role as a leading producer of oil and gas. Speaking at the official launch of Saudi Green Initiative Forum, he revealed the country would spend [...]
