Sainsbury’s half-year profit plunges 92 per cent November 7, 2019 Sainsbury’s has suffered a 92 per cent drop in half-year profit, as costs from store closures took a toll on the grocer’s balance sheet. Read more: Sainsbury’s former boss wants government to halve business rates and raise VAT The figures Statutory pre-tax profit fell from £107m last year to just £9m in the three months [...]
Brexit may bring uncertainty, but a Corbyn-led government is a bigger threat November 7, 2019 Where the Brexit vote differs from other political shocks is that three years on, the uncertainty has yet to subside. We’ve learnt little since 2016 about what our long-term relationship with the EU will look like. The Prime Minister now has a deal, but that’s only the start. Unlike the focus group stunned into silence [...]
The FCA is proposing a radical change to the UK’s regulation system November 7, 2019 With the recent headline-grabbing noise coming from Westminster, few paid much attention to the key announcements coming out of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Senior figures from the regulator have been giving some of the most significant speeches about the future of financial services in years. But are the right audiences listening to this talk [...]
Tories must shake up their campaign to pull the votes in November 7, 2019 Having allowed the other parties a few days to warm up, the Conservatives last night officially joined the fray as Boris Johnson launched the Tory election campaign at a rally of the party faithful in Birmingham. He was on vintage form, likening our blocked parliament to an anaconda struggling to digest a tapir and lambasting [...]
NHS ‘perfect storm’ could threaten Tory election hopes November 7, 2019 The Conservatives’ election hopes face a potentially major blow from a damning report out today that warned more than 1m NHS patients could experience four hour waits at A&E this winter. The British Medical Association (BMA) analysis warned the NHS is set for its “worst ever” winter as pressure on the health provider looks set [...]
Pizza Express owner to pay down debt pile with £80m cash injection November 6, 2019 The Chinese owner of restaurant chain Pizza Express has launched a tender offer to buy up £80m of the company’s unsecured bonds, as it looks to allay concerns about the firm’s financial future. Chinese private equity firm Hony Capital, which bought the company in 2014, appointed financial advisors before crucial talks with creditors last month [...]
Parties’ spending pledges under scrutiny on day of missed Budget November 6, 2019 Boris Johnson’s plans to increase public spending and cut taxes leave “very little scope” for meeting the Conservatives’ pledge to reduce the national debt, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said. Read more: UK public spending to hit 1970s levels after election, think tank says In a warning to both the Tories and Labour, [...]
Why the Bank of England should keep interest rates on hold November 6, 2019 The Bank of England must leave interest rates on hold tomorrow and resist the urge to tinker until Britain’s economy is out of the General Election and Brexit fog, City A.M.’s panel of expert economists has said. Read more: Sajid Javid delays appointment of new Bank of England governor Much has changed in British politics [...]
Investment managers lobby politicians for strong EU ties post-Brexit November 6, 2019 UK fund managers have called on the next government to protect cross-border investment arrangements and secure close alignment with EU rules post-Brexit. Entering the fray of general election campaigning, the Investment Association (IA) also warned against a no-deal Brexit, calling it “the worst possible outcome for UK investment managers”. Read more: Investors urge FTSE 350 [...]
General Election 2019: Boris Johnson pledges to create enterprise economy November 6, 2019 Boris Johnson has urged voters to back him in order to get parliament working “for you”. Speaking outside Number 10 after an audience with the Queen to officially dissolve parliament, Johnson said the choice was to “come with us – a government that believes in a dynamic economy – or vote for Labour, “the only alternative”. [...]