Organised crime gangs defrauded £367m from Covid support schemes August 22, 2022 Almost £400m was stolen from the UK government’s Covid support schemes by organised crime gangs, according to new figures released by Whitehall. Figures released by HM Revenue and Customs, after a Freedom of Information request by law firm Pinsent Masons, showed £367m was stolen from initiatives like the furlough scheme and Eat to Help Out. [...]
Google ploughs $1.5 billion into crypto and blockchain companies August 21, 2022 Google has been quietly shovelling a massive $1.5 billion into cryptocurrency and blockchain companies for almost a year.
Avanti West Coast woes give train privatisation a bad name August 21, 2022 It is tempting to place the blame for the rail chaos gripping the country firmly at the feet of Mick Lynch and his twitter-friendly pals at the top of the unions, and it is true that much of it does indeed lie there. But on one particular line the operator should take their fair share [...]
Johnson green lights £30bn Sizewell C nuclear power station August 21, 2022 Boris Johnson has given the green light to a new £30bn nuclear power station in Suffolk in the final weeks of his premiership. Johnson and chancellor Nadhim Zahawi approved funding for the construction of two new reactors, known as Sizewell C, despite the Prime Minister vowing to not make decisions in this transitional period. Zahawi’s [...]
Ministers consider plans to bail out businesses facing energy price spikes August 21, 2022 The government is considering plans to bail out businesses this year as they face soaring energy prices over autumn and winter. Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi is drawing up different options for the next Prime Minister to consider when they are sworn in next month. The Sunday Times reports that measures such as VAT and business rates [...]
Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway gets greenlight to buy 50 per cent of Occidental Petroleum August 21, 2022 Warren Buffett’s investment giant Berkshire Hathaway has got the go ahead from a US energy regulator to buy up to 50 per cent of oil firm Occidental Petroleum.
Matalan founder Hargreaves guns for outright ownership of retailer August 21, 2022 Fashion retailer Matalan is facing a battle between its lenders and its founder over its ownership as a deadline for refinancing looms. According to a report in Sky News, the retailer’s chairman John Hargreaves has proposed pumping tens of millions of pounds into the clothing firm. Hargreaves is reportedly hoping to retain outright control of [...]
M&S doubles down on plans to demolish Art Deco Oxford St store August 21, 2022 M&S is doubling down on its plans to demolish its flagship Marble Arch store, as its CEO describes a trip to Oxford St as “dismaying.” The supermarket is embroiled in a battle with heritage campaigners over plans to raze its Art Deco store in the West End. M&S says the store has “asbestos throughout,” and [...]
‘Dry powder’ falls as rising interest rates choke off cheap cash for investors August 21, 2022 The amount of cash being sat on by private market investors has tumbled this year as central bankers roll out more aggressive rate hikes and choke off a stream of cheap cash.
Kwarteng says ‘help is coming’ as energy price cap looks set to exceed £6,000 next year August 21, 2022 Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has said that more support for households to cope with rising energy bills is on its way, as forecasters predict the energy price cap will exceed £6,000 in April next year. Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Kwarteng said: “Russia is the world’s largest natural gas producer. By deliberately restricting exports, [...]
