Consumers feeling cheery ahead of the Christmas shopping season October 21, 2016 Consumer confidence is looking up ahead of the biggest quarter for retailers – the Christmas season. Consumers are shaking off the Brexit blues and feeling more positive about their earnings before Christmas, according to a report from PwC. PwC said 19 per cent of respondents in its consumer survey said they expect to be better off [...]
Embattled Southern rail operator Govia bills Network Rail for more than £48m October 21, 2016 The owner of Southern Rail, the operator at the centre of a bitter industrial dispute, stung Network Rail for more than £48m in fines during the last fiscal year. Govia – which runs the beleaguered Southern Rail network as well as the Thameslink, Southeastern, Gatwick Express, London Midland and Great Northern lines – billed Network [...]
Unite to begin balloting Gatwick staff on strike action over closure of pensions scheme October 20, 2016 Unite has announced it will begin balloting 1,800 members for strike action next Friday over the closure of Gatwick’s final salary pension scheme. Surface transport workers, firefighters and security officers are to be balloted, following a 96 per cent vote in favour of doing so in a recent consultative ballot. It will close on 16 [...]
Baggage handler Aviator pulls out of UK airports including Gatwick October 20, 2016 Scandinavian baggage handler Aviator is preparing to close its UK operations, spanning Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle airports, ahead of Christmas. The move by Aviator, which is understood to be ending its contracts for financial reasons, is set for the end of November and would leave the four airports short of around 1,700 staff. It is [...]
Before the bell: What you need to know before the US market open October 20, 2016 Markets are further backing a Clinton victory in the US presidential election next month after last night's final debate, while the European Central Bank is expected to keep policy on hold when it meets this afternoon. Here's what you need to know before the US market open at 2:30pm London time. US futures are pointing higher [...]
Sterling slips after shoppers scale back in September October 20, 2016 The pound has started the day nervously after new figures showed consumer spending is starting to slow and attention to turns to central banks in the Eurozone and the US. Sterling was down 0.2 per cent against the euro at €1.1175, and lost a touch of ground against the US dollar to stand at $1.2267. Retail [...]
15,000 people apply for 78 Virgin Trains driver jobs October 19, 2016 More than 15,000 people have applied to drive Virgin's new Azuma trains, after the rail operator launched its biggest recruitment drive on the east coast route since the 1980s. And there were only 78 positions up for grabs. There hasn't been quite so much excitement over a job listing since Tesco advertised for a Christmas tree [...]
Cocoa floats well: Hotel Chocolat reports rising revenue and profits after IPO October 19, 2016 Hotel Chocolat has reported growing revenue and profits in its preliminary results after listing on the London Stock Exchange this year. The figures Revenue for the period to 26 June came in at £91.1m, up 12 per cent from £81.1m in 2015. Pre-tax profit, meanwhile, was up from £2.9m to £8.2m, and earnings before interest, [...]
Inflation surges to two-year high as economists warn of huge price hikes October 18, 2016 Prices are rising at their fastest pace in nearly two years as sterling's dramatic post-referendum demise looks set to bite consumers over the coming months. Inflation came in at one per cent in September on the consumer prices index (CPI), the Office for National Statistics (ONS) declared this morning – a big leap from the 0.6 per [...]
Former leadership hopeful Steven Woolfe quits ‘ungovernable’ Ukip October 17, 2016 Ukip's Steven Woolfe has announced he is quitting the party, deeming it "ungovernable". Woolfe said the party "lacks direction, it lacks a purpose and it lacks any semblance of professional organisation". He said he will now sit as an independent MEP in the European Parliament. [infographic id="922"] Earlier today, party chairman Paul Oakden said Ukip may [...]