Brexit trade deal passes House of Commons after quick vote December 30, 2020 MPs have voted to pass Boris Johnson’s Brexit trade deal after just five hours, clearing the first hurdle for it to come into law in two days’ time. The Brexit vote was passed by 521 to 73. The bill was introduced to the House of Commons at 9.30am and will be rushed through both houses [...]
EU and China sign investment pact after Merkel’s intervention December 30, 2020 The EU and China have concluded in principle negotiations on an investment deal, with Angela Merkel playing an “active role” in driving through the accord. The deal comes amid deep concerns about the Chinese government’s use of its economic clout to enmesh itself in western countries. A European Commission statement said the agreement is of [...]
The Priory goes Private (Equity): UK rehab clinics sold in £1bn deal December 30, 2020 The Priory Group, operators of the UK’s best-known rehab clinics, has been bought by private equity outfit Waterland. Acadia, the American owners of the Group, confirmed the offload before US markets opened. Read more: 2021 set to see an M&A boom It will merge the two businesses and create what Waterland say will be “Europe’s [...]
How you can support your favourite bars and restaurants into 2021 December 30, 2020 January is generally a slow month for the hospitality sector as it is, largely due to those who have overindulged during the festive period wishing to take a break and partaking in the equally dreadful ‘Dry January’ or ‘Veganuary’. However, owing to ever-shifting and ever-stricter lockdown restrictions, we may not have had ample opportunity to [...]
Theresa May slams Brexit trade deal for not including financial services December 30, 2020 Former Prime Minister Theresa May has slammed Boris Johnson’s Brexit trade deal for not including provisions on financial services. May told MPs today that her failed deal was “a better deal” than the Prime Minister’s and said she was “disappointed” his trade agreement does not have a wide-ranging services agreement. MPs will vote at around [...]
Wonks expect retail to see a brighter 2021 December 30, 2020 Retailers can expect to see sales growth of as much as 3 per cent in 2021, according to a new expert report. Pent-up savings and demand, more confident consumers and a successful vaccine rollout will all bring a boost, says the KPMG/Ipsos Retail Think Tank. Read more: Where did it all go wrong for Topshop? [...]
Boris must find the bandwidth to take on Sturgeon – and keep the UK united December 30, 2020 Being prime minister is not an easy job. Whether you adopt the approach of Thatcher’s four-hours-a-night, or Macmillan’s retreating to Trollope novels at moments of extreme stress, it is a position which occupies your every waking (and probably many a sleeping) moment; the situation is not helped by the fact that the vast majority of [...]
Over by Spring: Hancock hails Oxford/AstraZeneca jab as part of path to normality December 30, 2020 Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the UK could expect to be out of the pandemic by spring after the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab was approved. Boss of the pharmaceutical firm Pascal Soriot said as many as 2m vaccines could be manufactured each week. “The vaccine is our way out of this,” the Health Secretary told the BBC. [...]
FTSE flat despite Oxford jab approval giving cause for 2021 optimism December 30, 2020 The FTSE 100 nibbled upward in early trading but fell to flat by lunchtime, as traders looked forward with some optimism to 2021. The index gained Tuesday, with many stocks hitting pre-pandemic highs. Traders were less bullish today, and after reaching gains of 0.3 per cent this morning the index has settled flat. Read more: [...]
Three things to expect from the business of sport in 2021 December 30, 2020 What does next year hold for sport in a commercial sense? Here, Neil Hopkins, global head of strategy at M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment, gazes into his crystal ball. Grounds for optimism Fans are back. Not many of them, but they are back. With vaccination under way, at some point in 2021 the tentative trickle of [...]
