PwC: Northern Ireland is the best place to live post-pandemic February 18, 2021 Professional services firm PwC has found that Northern Ireland is the best place to live, compared with the rest of the UK, as people continue to trade cities for the countryside after a year spent at home. Surveying over 4000 people across the country, the firm found that more people in Northern Ireland, than in [...]
Bouygues CEO makes way for ‘new generation’ February 18, 2021 Martin Bouygues is stepping down as CEO of the Bouygues Group, the company confirmed. The CEO and chairman, the son of the French group’s founder, Francis Bouygues, will be replaced by former deputy CEO Olivier Roussat. Bouygues said: “To meet the challenges we face, whether economic, climate-related, social or digital, we wanted to ensure that [...]
Sadiq Khan proposes to invest over £1b in city policing with new cash injection February 16, 2021 London Mayor Sadiq Khan plans to boost police investment with an additional £30m, taking the total to over £1b in the next four years, to ensure over a thousand Met officers keep their jobs. The mayor said he will divert funds from council tax and business rates receipts from local authorities to policing, ahead of [...]
Proposals to help self-employed and directors backed by cross-party MPs February 16, 2021 The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) chairman has said the government needs to act to help the businesses that fell through the gaps in business support requirements. In response to the Treasury Committee’s Economic Impact of Coronavirus inquiry update this morning, FSB chairman Mike Cherry said: “The government urgently needs to come forward with a [...]
Treasury Committee chair: ‘One-off wealth tax’ could patch the Covid gap in public finances February 15, 2021 The MP who leads the Treasury Committee suggested this morning that Chancellor Rishi Sunak should introduce a one-off wealth tax to help revive the country’s public finances. As the pandemic is tearing its way through public finances, the chair of the UK Treasury Committee, Mel Stride, said a one-off wealth tax may be an effective [...]
Jet2 raises £422m in fresh cash despite travel restrictions February 12, 2021 British holiday company Jet2 said this morning that it has raised £422m through a new share issue to bolster the company’s finances amid sustained restricted travel. Equal to 20 per cent of its share capital prior to the fundraise, the fundraiser comprised of over 35m placing shares and subscriptions for nearly 600,000 retail shares. “The [...]
St Patrick’s Day celebrations in London move online February 11, 2021 London mayor Sadiq Khan said today a virtual St Patrick’s Day celebration will be held on 17 March, which will showcase London-based Irish talent. The celebration will be hosted by London Irish Centre ambassador Angela Scanlon. “The sight of Londoners and visitors of all backgrounds uniting in our capital for St Patrick’s day is a [...]
EU faces surge in bankruptcies as states start to withdraw pandemic support February 11, 2021 A leaked document from the European Union has revealed that a spike in bankruptcies and bad loans awaits the European Commission during the bloc’s post-pandemic economic recovery, as states begin to withdraw public support schemes. The note, seen by Reuters, said that it has taken nearly €2.3 trillion in national liquidity support to prevent a [...]
Former EE boss Olaf Swantee joins Vodafone February 11, 2021 Vodafone has appointed former EE CEO Olaf Swantee as a non-executive director. He will take up the post at the end of July. Swantee comes from Sunrise Communications, where he was CEO. The ex-EE boss will use his experience in the sector to benefit Vodafone’s Audit and Risk Committee. Vodafone chairman Jean-Francois van Boxmeer said: [...]
Exclusive: Hong Kong refugee activists on the UK’s new visa scheme February 11, 2021 The UK’s visa program for British national overseas passport holders is generally seen in Hong Kong as a “last resort” for those who wish to flee Beijing’s new National Security Law, but the program should be extended to youngsters, multiple activists in exile have told City A.M. Baggio Leung, a former Hong Kong legislator and [...]
