Tech training top of the agenda for UK businesses January 28, 2021 UK businesses are prioritising digital transformation amid the pandemic with tech training coming top of the agenda. The pandemic has seen a rapid uptake in digital adoption as consumers are forced to shop online and businesses are being forced to adapt. An overwhelming majority of large firms have said the pandemic has prompted them to [...]
SNP MP admits to travelling 170 miles out of constituency, twice January 28, 2021 An SNP MP has been caught travelling 340 miles during two trips from his second home to his constituency, just days after writing against privileged Covid rule ‘flounters’. East Lothian MP Kenny MacAskill confirmed he has been staying at his second home in Banffshire, 170 miles away from his constituency. With a house in Banffshire [...]
Govt will no longer review workers’ rights post-Brexit, minister says January 28, 2021 A planned review into UK workers’ rights has been halted, with business minister Kwasi Kwarteng saying the government is not looking to dilute employment protections post-Brexit. Last week, Kwarteng rejected rumours that he was planning to end the 48-hour working week, wanted to amend rules around rest breaks, and would exclude overtime pay when calculating [...]
Competition watchdog opens probe into Facebook’s Giphy takeover January 28, 2021 The UK competition watchdog has launched a formal investigation into Facebook’s takeover of popular gif search engine Giphy. Facebook last year announced it planned to merge the gif-maker with Instagram in a deal worth a reported $400m (£321m). The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) served an initial enforcement order in June, forcing the social media [...]
Toyota overtakes Volkswagen to become world’s top carmaker January 28, 2021 Toyota has today overtaken Volkswagen to reclaim its crown as the world’s biggest car producer, the first time it has held the spot since 2015. The Japanese carmaker saw 9.5m cars roll off its assembly lines last year, despite an 11 per cent drop in production due to the pandemic. Volkwagen, on the other hand, [...]
UK banks urged to scrap branch closures during lockdown January 28, 2021 Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority has today told banks to rethink moves to close branches during lockdown. The FCA said banks should consider the impact of national restrictions on their ability to comply with regulatory guidance on closing branches. The authority released a statement today urging banks to consult any customers that are affected directly. The [...]
Rishi Sunak tells MPs he wants to raise taxes then cut them before next election January 28, 2021 Rishi Sunak has told a group of Conservative MPs that raising taxes this year will give him scope to cut them in the lead up to the 2024 election. The chancellor told the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers yesterday that he will have to make difficult choices this year to trim the UK’s bulging Budget [...]
M&C Saatchi lifts forecasts as new boss sets out strategy overhaul January 28, 2021 Shares in M&C Saatchi pushed more than seven per cent higher this morning after it lifted forecasts for the full year, marking a welcome boost for the troubled ad agency. The London-listed group had previously forecast pre-tax profit of £4m for 2020, but now expects an upward revision of this figure after delivering better-than-expected trading [...]
Euromoney revenues drop as pandemic damages events unit January 28, 2021 Financial information company Euromoney has suffered lower first quarter revenues as its events business was hit by lockdowns, the company revealed today. Euromoney’s quarterly revenue fell to £78.7m, a 20 per cent drop from the £99.2m reported a year earlier. Group events revenue of £8.6m was just 30 per cent of the same period last [...]
J20 and Tango owner Britvic suffers slump in sales due to hospitality restrictions January 28, 2021 Soft drinks group Britvic, which owns J2O, R White’s lemonade and Robinsons, suffered a slump in sales in the first quarter due to restrictions on pubs, bars and restaurants. The FTSE 250 firm said this morning that total revenue declined 9.8 per cent to £328.1m in the three months ended 31 December. The Hemel Hempstead-based [...]
