Upfront cost of electric cars putting customers off August 2, 2021 The upfront cost of buying an electric vehicle is putting people off buying one, new research from Which has found. According to a recent survey by the consumer group, more than a third (34 per cent) of potential buyers cited costs as the reason they might not buy one. That is despite the fact that [...]
UK to gain new £700m film and TV studio amid streaming goldrush August 1, 2021 The UK is set to gain yet another major film and TV studio complex after private equity giant Blackstone unveiled plans to build a major new hub near London. Funds managed by Blackstone Real Estate Partners and LA-based Hudson Pacific Properties have acquired a 91-acre site in Hertfordshire, 17 miles north of central London, for [...]
Morrisons counterbid set to come from another US private equity giant August 1, 2021 American private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) is reportedly preparing to submit a counterbid for British supermarket chain Morrisons, after a £6.3bn bid from a rival. US buyout giant Fortress had a £6.3bn bid for Morrisons provisionally accepted last month, after weeks of takeover rumours. The Sunday Times reports today that CD&R are [...]
Olympics broadcaster Discovery mulls bid for Channel 4 August 1, 2021 American broadcaster Discovery is considering a bid for Channel 4 as the government attempts to privatise the channel. Discovery, which owns Eurosport and a number of other UK channels, is reportedly looking to challenge ITV with the potential move. The Sunday Telegraph reports that Discovery is holding preliminary talks around putting in a bid for [...]
Aldi increases drivers’ pay amid labour shortages August 1, 2021 Aldi has moved to increase the pay of its drivers in a bid to overcome labour shortages and ensure its supermarkets shelves are not empty. A multitude of factors – including Brexit, high training costs and the pandemic – have led to a shortage of lorry drivers in the UK, threatening supply chains. The Sunday [...]
Tory donors warn Boris Johnson that tax rises will kill off economic recovery August 1, 2021 Prominent Tory donors have urged Boris Johnson not to implement tax rises this autumn as they fear it could hamper the post-Covid economic recovery. Johnson and Rishi Sunak are expected to soon announce a 1 per cent increase in National Insurance in a bid to fix gaps in the health and social care sectors. Sunak [...]
Pizza and shopping discounts to be offered to boost vaccine take-up August 1, 2021 People will be offered discounts on pizza, cinema trips and ride sharing apps if they get vaccinated as a part of a campaign by the government to get more young adults to take the vaccine. The government is reportedly speaking to dozens of companies, including coffee and cinema chains, about rolling out a voucher scheme [...]
The return of the West End: rebuilding a delicate ecosystem of workers and culture August 1, 2021 While London’s West End may be known for its flagship stores, Michelin star restaurants, world-class hotels and unrivalled theatres, it is also home to a thriving office sector. One in ten Londoners are employed in the West End across various industries, from retail and leisure through to finance and real estate. This ecosystem of industries [...]
Sunday Read: Bank of England’s QE programme has muddied the water between right and wrong August 1, 2021 “The problem with QE is it works in practice but it doesn’t work in theory,” an often quoted joke said by former Fed chair Ben Bernanke. But, some are testing that hypothesis. The backdrop to Thursday’s Bank of England meeting is much more unforgiving than previous ones. A House of Lords committee recently accused the [...]
Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Team GB kicks off super Saturday with gold rush July 31, 2021 Great Britain kicked off super Saturday by taking gold in two new Olympic events, pushing their medal total in Tokyo up to 27 on day eight of the games. Team GB claimed gold in the first Olympic mixed triathlon relay event, followed by winning the inaugural swimming 4x100m mixed medley relay in world-record time. Read [...]