‘Bond market tantrum risks’: Gilt traders brace for Labour leftward pivot as Starmer future uncertain
Freelance creatives could fall through cracks of Rishi budget March 4, 2021 This week Rishi Sunak announced his investment-led recovery budget, pledging an additional £408m stimulus package for the culture sector. This is fantastic news for a creative sector particularly vulnerable to the impact of the COVID pandemic. The government has divided this relief package into three parts: £300m for the Cultural Recovery Fund (supporting cultural organisations [...]
British tech consultancy Capco snapped up in $1.5bn deal March 4, 2021 British tech consultancy Capco has been snapped up by Indian software giant Wipro in a deal worth $1.45bn (£1bn). London-based Capco, whose clients include major names in the financial services industry, employs more than 5,000 consultants and operates in more than 30 locations around the world. Wipro said two firms had “complementary” business models, adding [...]
Oil prices jump five per cent as Opec mulls supply cuts March 4, 2021 The price of Brent crude increased by $2.91 today, up 4.5 per cent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $2.75 to around $64 a barrel, up 4.49 per cent. The price rises came as ministers from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies convened a meeting to discuss a potential [...]
UK government reaches six-figure payout settlement with ex-civil servant after Priti Patel row March 4, 2021 The government has reached a payout settlement with the Home Office’s former top civil servant after he claimed home secretary Priti Patel orchestrated a campaign to oust him from his job. Former Home Office permanent secretary Sir Philip Rutnam said today he had settled with the government out of court, after previously suing for unfair [...]
PwC and EY: Our restructuring arms are not for sale March 4, 2021 Big Four firms PwC and EY have insisted they have no plans to follow in the footsteps of rivals KPMG and Deloitte and sell the restructuring units of their businesses. Selling restructuring units is in vogue at Big Four firms. This morning KPMG announced it had signed an unconditional agreement with private equity firm HIG [...]
Jack Dorsey’s Square buys $300m stake in Jay-Z’s streaming firm Tidal March 4, 2021 Mobile payments firm Square has agreed to buy a majority stake in Tidal, the streaming service owned by rapper and producer Jay-Z, for $297m (£212m). Square, which was co-founded by Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey, said it will pay a mix of cash and stock for the stake, while Jay-Z will join its board of [...]
Sadiq Khan broke half of 2016 election promises, claims Tory rival Shaun Bailey March 4, 2021 Sadiq Khan has broken just over half of his 2016 campaign promises, Conservative mayoral rival Shaun Bailey has claimed. Bailey will today launch an advertising claiming Khan has not delivered on 126 of his 244 manifesto promises, however Labour has called the allegation a “complete work of fiction”. Bailey cites a list of manifesto promises [...]
Why improving cyber security should be a priority for every business in 2021 March 4, 2021 Kralanx Cyber Security CEO Jean-Michel Azzopardi talks through what a business must, should and could have for cyber security.
Digital Currencies: The money of tomorrow or today? March 4, 2021 Last week the Treasury-commissioned fintech Review published its agenda for the future of the UK intech sector. It recommended more government oversight, closer regulatory alignment, and perhaps most intriguingly, an embrace of digital currencies. But what would this actually look like in the UK – and why does it matter? To understand this, it helps to [...]
DEBATE: Is Universal Credit fit for purpose? March 4, 2021 Jonathan Reynolds, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions says NO Universal Credit has failed on its own terms. It is not offering a route out of hardship instead it is perpetuating a cycle of debt and destitution that is hurting our economy. The system starts people off in debt through the five week-wait, [...]
