Santander Cycles to cost commuters just £1 a week November 20, 2020 Londoners will be able to cycle to work for as little as £1 a week under a new scheme being launched by Santander Cycles. Cycling to work provider Cyclescheme has partnered with Transport for London (TfL) on a new programme called City Bike Hire. Under it, those employers who nominate Cyclescheme as their cycle to [...]
How sustainability can make a product stand out November 20, 2020 The growing awareness of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors among customers and investors poses a quandary for companies: how should they react? Predictably, the response has been a mixed one, with the pace and magnitude of action dependent on the extent to which companies view this change as an opportunity as opposed to an [...]
Flattening Covid cases could see families gather at Christmas, says Hancock November 20, 2020 Flattening Covid-19 cases could mean Britain eases its distancing measures to allow families to gather for Christmas, Matt Hancock has said. The health minister is working with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for a UK-wide approach to rules for Christmas. England has been under lockdown for two weeks following a rise [...]
Sage sees revenue rise on bump in software subscriptions November 20, 2020 Software group Sage today said that a bump in subscriptions had helped it increase revenue nearly a tenth across the last financial year. The Newcastle-based company saw revenue rise 8.5 per cent to £1.6bn for the year, with subscription growth up 20.5 per cent to £1.1bn. Sage added that it had seen particularly strong growth [...]
BT boss Philip Jansen hints at sale of Openreach stake November 20, 2020 BT has opened the door to a sale of a stake in infrastructure division Openreach as the telecoms giant battles a declining share price. Chief executive Philip Jansen said he was “open minded” about offloading a stake once a regulatory review into full-fibre networks has been completed next year. “We feel — I feel — [...]
The Big Rebuild: Why sport must recognise importance of PR before it’s too late November 20, 2020 Covid-19 has ripped the sports industry to shreds, leaving a trail of bare-bones teams who are overworked and stretched. During a second lockdown it might seem hasty to think about rebuilding and planning for the coming months. But we know that one day sport’s fan ban will be lifted. Once it does, it will happen [...]
Matt Hancock defends ‘kind’ Priti Patel as Home Secretary comes under fire November 20, 2020 Matt Hancock defends 'kind' Priti Patel as Home Secretary comes under fire
Unite Students to buy 800-bed development from Travis Perkins November 20, 2020 Student accommodation developer Unite Students has bought a new 800-bed site in Paddington from Travis Perkins, the company announced today. Total development costs for the project are expected to be £150m, which will be funded through proceeds from its last equity raise. Unite is planning to open the development – its second partnership with Travis [...]
Nationwide profits resilient despite coronavirus hit November 20, 2020 Building society Nationwide reported a resilient performance in the first half year with profits stable, despite a £139m impairment charge. The lender reported a 17 per cent rise in pretax profit from £309m to £361m, despite a £139m provision for loans that may not be repaid due to the pandemic. Net lending for the six [...]
UK borrowing drops to £22bn in October but deficit hits new record November 20, 2020 The UK government’s borrowing dropped sharply in October as companies and individuals required less economic support, with spending on the furlough scheme almost quartering. Public sector net borrowing came in at £22.3bn last month, down sharply from a downwardly revised figure £28.6bn a month earlier, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. It was also [...]