HSBC scraps executive floor in Canary Wharf in favour of hot-desking April 19, 2021 HSBC has scrapped the entire executive floor at its Canary Wharf headquarters in the latest change to its post-pandemic working practices. The 42nd floor, which was previously home to executives, will be used for client meeting rooms and collaborative spaces while top managers will hot desk on the open-plan 40th floor. “Our offices were empty [...]
UK banks launch new low-deposit mortgage scheme April 19, 2021 High street banks will today begin offering mortgages with a deposit of just five per cent under a new government-backed scheme. The scheme, first announced in the Budget, is designed to make home ownership more affordable for first-time buyers. Borrowers will be able to secure a mortgage with just a five per cent deposit on [...]
Starling Bank secures £50m investment from Goldman Sachs April 19, 2021 Digital lender Starling Bank has extended its latest funding round with a £50m investment from Goldman Sachs. Last month it announced a £272m Series D funding round led by Fidelity Management & Research which valued it in excess of £1.1bn pre-money. Starling Bank today said Goldman Sachs investment marked an extension of the oversubscribed round, [...]
Public-private partnership must be at the heart of tackling climate change ahead of COP26 April 19, 2021 Later this year, representatives of over 190 governments will gather at COP26 to voice their commitments to tackling the climate crisis, confirm a “landing zone” on net zero and negotiate the intricacies of the Paris Agreement rulebook. But it’s an illusion to think that government commitments are enough to kick-start climate recovery. Since the global [...]
Fan fury as JP Morgan and biggest football clubs team up on European Super League April 19, 2021 The football world has been plunged into chaos after it was announced that six English football teams will join a new breakaway European Super League in what would be the biggest shake-up of the game in recent years. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham are among the clubs that are set to [...]
Fintech innovation will be at the heart of London’s recovery April 19, 2021 Over the last week I’ve been out in the City actively showing my support for businesses reopening after lockdown, including getting a long overdue haircut. Local shops, barbers, pubs and restaurants are of course the backbone of places like the Square Mile. But as we look to kickstart a strong, sustainable recovery post-pandemic, what’s also [...]
UK shared office space providers ramped up growth before pandemic April 19, 2021 The UK’s largest shared office space providers grew the value of their property portfolios before the coronavirus pandemic sparked a shift to home working. The serviced office space sector grew its overall property value to £18.9bn in the 2019/2020 financial year, up six per cent on the previous 12 months. The figures highlight the growing [...]
Bitcoin slumps as cryptocurrency sheds record gains April 18, 2021 Bitcoin fell as much as 14 per cent today, shedding most of the volatile cryptocurrency’s gains over the last year. The digital asset has surged so far this year as it begins to gain mainstream acceptance as an investment and as a form of payment. But it dropped as much as 15 per cent to [...]
UK investigates effect of Indian Covid-19 variant April 18, 2021 The UK’s health officials have launched an investigation into whether the newly found Indian variant of Covid-19 spreads faster and is vaccine resistant, after cases of the variant were found in England and Scotland. Chief medical adviser for NHS Test and Trace Dr Susan Hopkins said today that around 70 cases of the Indian variant [...]
Billionaire Issa brothers snap up fast food chain Leon April 18, 2021 The billionaire brothers behind Asda have snapped up British fast food chain Leon in a deal worth a reported £100m. Mohsin and Zuber Issa, who have agreed a £6.8bn deal to buy Asda, are now swooping on the London-based food chain through their petrol station empire EG Group. The transaction, which includes 42 company-owned restaurants [...]
