Direct Line premiums stabilise as insurance market climbs back November 10, 2020 Direct Line today posted flat trading for the third quarter as shopping habits began to recover after a decline sparked by the coronavirus outbreak. The insurance group said its total written premiums slipped a marginal 0.8 per cent to £851.5m in the three months to the end of September. The performance was primarily driven by [...]
FRC: Auditors must challenge management view of firm implications of climate change November 10, 2020 Audit watchdog the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has said auditors should test and challenge board and management’s assessment of the implications of climate change outlined in financial statements. Following a major review of how companies and auditors report on the impact of climate change, the FRC determined that boards and companies, auditors, professional associations, regulators [...]
House of Lords defeats Boris Johnson’s controversial Brexit bill November 10, 2020 The House of Lords has rejected Boris Johnson’s controversial Brexit bill that could potentially breach the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement and break international law. Peers voted to remove two clauses from the Internal Market Bill, which deal with the status of Northern Ireland after the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December. The legislation will now [...]
Auto industry pleas for zero-tariff deal as Brexit prep bill passes £735 million November 10, 2020 The UK auto industry has issued a last-chance plea for a zero-tariff, zero-quota trade deal, as the UK-EU free trade talks enter the final stretch. The plea comes as a survey from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has revealed the cost to the sector for preparing for Brexit has surpassed £735 million [...]
Exclusive: Digital wealth manager Nutmeg customers surge past 100,000 November 10, 2020 Digital wealth manager Nutmeg has enjoyed a coronavirus boost and now boasts more than 100,000 customers after investors shifted online amid the pandemic. The robo-adviser saw a 33 per cent increase year-on-year in its customer numbers to pass the 100,000 milestone, with assets under management (AUM) peaking at £2.3bn. In the six months to June [...]
Exclusive: Ex-Labour mayor defects to Tories over Sadiq Khan’s record on crime November 10, 2020 A former Labour mayor of Islington has defected to the Tories and is campaigning for the party’s mayoral candidate after being disappointed with Sadiq Khan’s handling of violent crime in London. Islington councillor Rakhia Ismail, who was mayor of the London council last year, quit Labour in September alleging she had experienced racism within the [...]
BBC licence fee negotiations kick off as ministers ramp up pressure over funding November 10, 2020 The government today kicked off negotiations with the BBC over how much the TV licence will cost in the future, dialling up the pressure on the embattled public service broadcaster. The talks will determine the level of the licence fee, which is currently set at £157.50, for at least five years from 2022. Culture secretary [...]
Spending slipped ahead of lockdown but takeaways and web services stayed popular November 10, 2020 Spending slipped ahead of lockdown but takeaways and web services stayed popular
Joe Biden can end the misery wrought across the world by the Global Gag Rule November 10, 2020 While the world continues to process Donald Trump’s loss of the US presidency after a single term, something else will likely be thrown out of the White House with him when he leaves office: the so-called “Global Gag Rule”. The Mexico City policy, originally implemented by Ronald Reagan’s administration in 1984, prohibits non-governmental organisations which provide, [...]
Cronyism and incompetence: The government is undermining trust in the private sector November 10, 2020 It should surprise no one that a Conservative government turns to the private sector for the efficient delivery of services. Private enterprise is agile, responsive, innovative and provides good value for money (or at least, it can do), and public money should always be spent in the most effective way possible. This is the ideology [...]
