De La Rue shares plunge as it scraps dividend and warns of ‘significant doubt’ over future November 26, 2019 De La Rue has bailed on plans for a dividend this year and warned there is “significant doubt” on its ability to continue to operate, sending shares plummeting. “We have concluded there is a material uncertainty that casts significant doubt on the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern,” it said today as it [...]
Covent Garden JV writedown hurts Shaftesbury profit November 26, 2019 West End landlord Shaftesbury suffered a sharp drop in profit this year after taking a writedown on the value of a retail joint venture in Covent Garden. The figure Profit after tax fell from £175.5m to £26m due to the revaluation of the portfolio, which dipped 0.6 per cent to £4bn overall. However, the company’s [...]
FTSE 250 hits highest level in 15 months as Conservatives maintain poll lead November 26, 2019 The FTSE 250 nudged up 0.2 per cent this morning to 20,740, reaching its highest level since August 2018. The London index rose on the back of growing investor confidence that the Conservatives will win December’s General Election, after polls showed the party had maintained a healthy lead over Labour. Russ Mould, investment director at [...]
UK mortgage lending dips as buyers hesitate due to Brexit uncertainty November 26, 2019 UK mortgage lending dipped in October as buyers hesitated due to economic and political uncertainty caused by Brexit and the upcoming General Election. Gross mortgage lending across the residential market last month was £25.5bn, a dip of 0.9 per cent compared to October 2018. Read more: New rules announced to help UK mortgage prisoners Mortgage [...]
Election poll: Labour is closing the gap on the Tories November 26, 2019 Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party has squeezed the Tories’ election poll lead down to 11 points from 18 a week ago, a new survey by data company Kantar showed today. Support for Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservatives dropped two points to 43 per cent, while Labour climbed five points to 32 per cent. Read more: Chief [...]
DEBATE: Is Uber’s loss of its London licence evidence that we need more gig economy regulation? November 26, 2019 Is Uber’s loss of its London licence evidence that we need more gig economy regulation? John McCallion, chief executive officer of GroundScope, says YES. Transport for London has quite rightly decided not to grant Uber a licence to operate in London — just as many other cities around the world have done. Every city needs [...]
Tackling UK productivity crisis could yield £83bn a year for economy, says PwC November 26, 2019 The UK productivity crisis is dragging on the economy, a new report has said, which could be £83bn a year larger if laggard areas could make up just half the efficiency gap. The next government has a major opportunity to increase investment in infrastructure and encourage the private sector to better train its workers to [...]
Business leaders don’t think our roads and railways are up to scratch for post-Brexit growth November 26, 2019 Britain’s roads and railways are in desperate need of an upgrade, otherwise many companies will struggle to get the post-Brexit bounce they need, according to business group the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). A survey of 1,200 business leaders has found that only 35 per cent of businesses feel that the UK road network is [...]
Election megapoll: Tories hold 13 point lead over Labour November 25, 2019 Boris Johnson is holding a 13 point lead over Jeremy Corbyn according to a new mega-poll, with both main parties making slight gains in the last week. The Conservative party’s rating stands at 43 per cent, a new PA Media survey has found. Read more: Corbyn to remain neutral in second Brexit referendum Meanwhile, Jeremy [...]
UK marketing budgets hit five-year low as Brexit uncertainty weighs November 25, 2019 Marketing budgets at UK firms have fallen to their lowest level in more than five years as ongoing political uncertainty continues to take its toll. On average, marketing budgets slipped to 9.3 per cent of overall company revenue this year, down from 11.4 per cent in 2018, according to research firm Gartner. Read more: AI [...]