British biotech firm Immunocore opts for New York float January 18, 2021 Cancer biotech firm Immunocore is looking to list on the Nasdaq rather than London as it aims to raise up to $100m. The Oxford-based company delivers biological therapies for people suffering with cancer and other serious diseases. Last week Immuncore secured $75m in fresh funding after a Series C round, bringing its total raised through [...]
Rail industry adds voice to calls for Eurostar support January 18, 2021 The rail industry has thrown its weight behind calls for the government to prop up the struggling Eurostar rail link between the UK and the continent. Yesterday a group of London-based businesses wrote to ministers demanding swift action to safeguard the Eurostar’s future. Now the Rail Industry Association (RIA), a trade body which represents the [...]
Begbies Traynor acquires CVR Global in biggest buy yet January 18, 2021 Insolvency specialist Begbies Traynor has acquired CVR Global in a deal worth £20.8m. The move represents the largest insolvency acquisition Begbies Traynor has made to date, and provides a significant expansion of its scale in London and the South of England. The share price of the corporate restructuring firm jumped 5.5 per cent today following [...]
Retail footfall decline slows as fewer Brits stay home in lockdown January 18, 2021 Retail footfall levels during the current national lockdown have not plummeted to the record lows seen in March, the latest analysis showed. Footfall across all UK retail destinations dropped 10.9 per cent last week compared to the previous seven days. The decline was less than half the 27.1 per cent drop recorded the week before. [...]
Brussels to extend deadline for Brexit deal ratification by EU Parliament January 18, 2021 Brussels is set to extend the deadline the European Parliament has to ratify the UK-EU Brexit trade deal. The deadline is reportedly set to be extended from February to April to give MEPs more time to scrutinise the 1200-page text. The deal has already been ratified by the EU’s 27 ambassadors, which ensured it came [...]
Uptick in central London office interest offers hope to struggling businesses January 18, 2021 There was an uptick in interest in London office properties at the end of 2020, offering city centre firms hope that the end of the remote-working boom is on the horizon. The latest research by real estate giant JLL showed that there had been a “significant” jump in viewings and negotiations, suggesting recovery could be [...]
Covid loan schemes help Funding Circle boost income January 18, 2021 Lending platform Funding Circle saw total income rise in the second half of the year helped by record loans under management. Total income rose 26 per cent to £121m helped by a strong performance by its UK operations, which grew 60 per cent to £94m. Loans under management in the UK were up 27 per [...]
Isabelle Jenkins named PWC’s new leader of financial services January 18, 2021 Isabelle Jenkins has been named the new leader of financial services for PwC UK after spending 17 years as a partner at the firm. Jenkins replaces Andrew Kail, who held the role over the last four and a half years. He will take up a new role as the CEO of Legal and General retail [...]
FCA insists it protects consumers from investment harm despite criticism January 18, 2021 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) opened 1,500 supervisory cases involving scams or high risk investments in the first 10 months of 2020, in an effort to clamp down on consumer investment harm. The city regulator also stopped applications for authorisation from 343 financial services firms and individuals where the potential for consumer harm was identified [...]
British Army to establish 80 new vaccine centres in Scotland January 18, 2021 British Army soldiers will help to launch 80 new Covid-19 vaccine centres throughout Scotland over the next four weeks. The deployment follows a ‘patchy’ vaccine roll-out in Scotland, according to the British Medical Association. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) said it had deployed 98 soldiers to identify suitable sites and support vaccine deliveries. Matt Hancock [...]
