Convicted: Ex Labour MP Jared O’Mara guilty of fraud to fund cocaine habit – while in office February 8, 2023 A former Labour MP has been found guilty of making fraudulent expenses claims to fund a cocaine habit while in office. Jared O’Mara was convicted of six counts of fraud after trying to claim around £24,000 of taxpayers’ money for his “extravagant lifestyle”. The 41-year-old, who represented the constituency of Sheffield Hallam from 2017 to [...]
High Street retail race: Marks and Spencer predicted to overtake John Lewis by 2026 February 8, 2023 Marks & Spencer will overtake John Lewis in the rankings of the UK’s biggest retailers by 2026, according to a new sales forecast. Tesco will retain its position as the largest retailer, followed by Sainsbury’s, but Amazon is on track to move into the top three within the next few years, industry title Retail Week [...]
UK to narrowly avoid recession but cost of living crisis will leave families £4,000 worse off February 8, 2023 The UK is poised to narrowly avoid a recession but the cost of living crisis will still leave average Brits £4,000 worse off this year, fresh forecasts out today reveal. Britain’s economy is set to squeeze out 0.2 per cent of GDP growth in 2023, meaning it will just about swerve a technical reversal, two [...]
ULEZ expansion ‘not the answer’: Rebel boroughs Harrow and Bromley warn Khan of impact on ‘poorest and vulnerable’ February 7, 2023 Harrow and Bromley councils have responded to a letter from Sadiq Khan over the expansion of ULEZ, warning of its impact on the poorest. Harrow councillor Paul Osborn wrote to Khan earlier this week, reiterating that the expansion of the ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) to include the whole of Greater London was “not the answer” [...]
Bank chiefs hit back at accusations of profiteering on higher interest rates February 7, 2023 Chief executives from the UK’s four largest lenders today hit back at accusations from MPs that they were too quick to charge customers more interest on their mortgages without offering higher rates on savings accounts. The bank chiefs were asked why interest rates on instant savings accounts remain around one per cent while the Bank [...]
Lidl boasts £10m sales growth after winning shoppers from M&S, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s February 7, 2023 The value retailer praised its fruit and veg range for the year on year increase – with its market share for vegetable shopping reaching a high of 10.2 per cent.
Nintendo vows to ‘energise’ its Switch console offering following £200m cut to full-year forecast February 7, 2023 Nintendo has cut its full year forecast blaming a drop off in demand for its Switch console. The Japanese company has dimmed its full-year forecasts to a net profit of 370bn yen (£2.3bn) for the year ending 31 March, down from 400bn yen (£2.5bn) predicted last November. In the trading update, the video games manufacturer [...]
UK house prices slow to three-year low as cost of living crisis drags down London and South East property market February 7, 2023 In London, house prices fell from £541k to £530k iin January, with annual house price inflation flat at 0.0 per cent compared to 2.9 per cent in December.
Retail experts warn of ‘challenging’ months ahead as sales growth slows February 7, 2023 Senior retail figures have warned that the coming months will be “challenging” for the sector, after sales slowed over January, falling below the three-month average growth of 5.2 per cent to 4.2 per cent Helen Dickinson OBE, chief executive at British Retail Consortium (BRC), said consumer confidence remains “stubbornly low” and looming rises in household [...]
Sadiq Khan warns rebel boroughs against challenging ULEZ expansion February 6, 2023 Sadiq Khan has warned a number of rebel boroughs against challenging the London-wide expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone, or ULEZ, saying their case was “wholly without merit and misconceived.” Four Conservative boroughs sent a pre-action letter to Transport for London (TfL) on 13 January, challenging Khan’s decision to expand the ULEZ to Greater [...]