Balls is back January 20, 2011 ED Balls was last night installed as Labour shadow chancellor in a dramatic move following Alan Johnson’s resignation from the post after less than four months. Johnson said he was leaving “for personal reasons” as Balls, the architect of Gordon Brown’s economic policy and a former treasury minister, returned to a role shaping the party’s [...]
Loan row threatens West Ham Olympic bid January 20, 2011 WEST HAM’S bid to move into the Olympic Stadium was plunged into controversy last night after questions were raised over a £40m loan being arranged by Newham Council. The loan would be at a preferential rate and would provide the cash-strapped club with vital funds for redeveloping the venue, if it is chosen ahead of [...]
Topaz mulls LSE flotation January 20, 2011 OILFIELD services company Topaz Energy and Marine is mulling a float on the London Stock Exchange. The Dubai-based company, one of the biggest oil services firms in the Middle East, has already appointed JP Morgan Cazenove to advise on the possible float – which could come as soon as March. Topaz, the biggest revenue generator [...]
Why Ed Balls is a flawed economist January 20, 2011 LIKE the cat who got hold of the cream, Ed Balls, the new shadow chancellor, could hardly conceal his delight yesterday. But in addition to being the culmination of a colourful tale of personal intrigue, Alan Johnson’s shock resignation will have an electric effect on Westminster. Out goes an amiable, reasonable but incompetent and innumerate [...]
Armitage given eight-week ban and will miss Six Nations January 20, 2011 ENGLAND full-back Delon Armitage has been handed an eight-week ban by the Rugby Football Union and is set to miss the entire Six Nations campaign as a result. The London Irish star was found to have pushed and used threatening and / or abusive and obscene language towards a doping control officer by an RFU [...]
What the other papers say this morning January 20, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES GE EXPECTS DOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH IN CHINA General Electric expects “solid double-digit” sales growth in China this year and “for a long period of time”, although revenues there have fallen short of expectations, chief executive Jeff Immelt has said. Mr Immelt said he was “quite happy” with the progress of GE’s business in China. [...]
Wasps will win but it might not be enough to qualify January 20, 2011 Lawrence Dallaglio, England great and Amlin rugby ambassador, casts his eye over this weekend’s European fixtures involving London clubs using the Amlin Opta Index. To view the full Amlin Opta Index results ahead of this week’s action, head to the news section on ercrugby.com SARACENS V CLERMONT AUVERGNE (TONIGHT, HEINEKEN CUP) Schalk Brits is Saracens’ [...]
BT told to lower prices January 20, 2011 BT came under fire yesterday as telecoms regulator Ofcom said it should make “significant reductions” to the wholesale price of its broadband to boost internet uptake in rural areas. Ofcom has proposed BT cut the price it charges other internet service providers to lease its broadband infrastructure by more than ten per cent in areas [...]
HP reveals board reshuffle January 20, 2011 Hewlett-Packard is shaking up its board, bringing in five new directors including former eBay chief Meg Whitman, as new chief executive Leo Apotheker redesigns the company. In addition to Whitman, HP named as directors Shumeet Banerji, chief executive of Booz & Co; Gary Reiner, former chief information officer of General Electric; Patricia Russo, former chief [...]
CPMA needs tougher powers January 20, 2011 The chief executive of the Office of Fair Trading, John Fingleton, told the influential Commons Treasury Select Committee the new Consumer Protection and Markets Authority should “nudge the market faster and harder” than his organisation has done. He told MPs the CPMA needed “tougher powers” over banks to enforce more transparent overdraft and foregone interest [...]