Ex-Bell Pottinger chief vows to contest potential boardroom ban September 24, 2020 Former Bell Pottinger chief executive James Henderson has vowed to fight a potential boardroom ban looming over him in the wake of the PR firm’s high-profile collapse in 2017. Henderson faces a director disqualification hearing alongside former Bell Pottinger colleagues Victoria Geoghegan and Nick Lambert, according to court documents. The public relations firm fell into [...]
Cambridge Analytica boss hit with seven-year directorship ban September 24, 2020 The former boss of disgraced consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica has been banned from running limited companies for seven years. Alexander Nix, who led Cambridge Analytica until its collapse in 2018, will be disqualified from acting as a director or becoming involved – directly or indirectly – in the promotion, formation or management of a company. [...]
Only a third of UK businesses have completed Brexit risk assessments September 24, 2020 Just over a third of UK companies have completed a Brexit risk assessment this year, as businesses scramble to prepare for the end of the transition period in 98 days. Only 38 per cent of eligible firms have completed Brexit risk assessments this year, compared to 57 per cent of businesses in 2019, according to [...]
Green Britannia can rule the waves — with the right support September 24, 2020 The coronavirus has had a major impact on a range of industries, including shipping. We have seen factories in parts of the world slow down and supply chains have been severely impacted. But today, on the UN’s World Maritime Day which is focused on sustainable shipping, as we look to reset and recover from the [...]
Trade experts raise fresh doubts over UK-US trade deal due to tax row September 24, 2020 Trade experts have expressed fresh doubts about the prospect of a UK-US trade deal while Britain’s digital services tax is in place. UK and US negotiators concluded the fourth round of formal negotiations this week as Downing Street tries to quickly close trade agreements as a part of its post-Brexit “Global Britain” agenda. Several trade [...]
Will the FCA’s new plan mean cannabis companies can come in from the cold? September 24, 2020 How does the UK’s legal and financial establishment feel about the cannabis industry? The answer to that has changed significantly over the last few years, to the point that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) now contemplates their listing on the London Stock Exchange. But the legal rules around how to do that are far from [...]
Brexit: Kent to get ‘internal border’ to monitor incoming lorries September 23, 2020 Police will soon have to monitor Kent’s border and turn away lorries without an “access permit” as a part of the government’s Brexit plans. Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said officers will use number plate recognition technology to monitor truckers travelling into Kent, with some characterising the plans as amounting to an internal UK border. [...]
JP Morgan ‘to move €200bn assets from the UK to Germany’ due to Brexit September 23, 2020 JP Morgan Chase & Co is reportedly set to move €200bn (£184bn) assets from the UK to Germany as a result of Brexit. The US banking giant plans to finish the migration of the assets to a Frankfurt-based subsidiary by the end of this year, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The shift [...]
The “homebody economy” – investing in your digital back yard September 23, 2020 It is clear that UK shares are unloved. No likes, no shares, no new friend requests. The level of gloom surrounding this market is remarkable even amongst UK based investors, who, you might think, should feel more comfortable investing here. This is not just pandemic queasiness. Although the UK economy is service-led to some extent, [...]
Eurozone rebound stalls as Covid cases hit services sector September 23, 2020 The Eurozone’s economic recovery stalled in September as rising coronavirus cases knocked the massive services sector backwards, according to preliminary survey data. The IHS Markit composite purchasing managers’ index (PMI) – a gauge of the health of the private sector – fell to 50.1 in September from 51.9 in August. That was the lowest figure [...]