British farmers to be given greater protections in future trade deals May 16, 2023 Farmers are to be given greater protections in future trade deals as part of a package of measures unveiled ahead of a No 10 food summit. Downing Street said the government’s initiatives, as well as putting greater emphasis on farmers’ interests during international trade negotiations, include reviewing supply chains to ensure producers are getting a [...]
City of London grandees lay out vision for UK markets after bruising few months May 15, 2023 A group of City of London grandees are drawing up a “new market model” for the UK’s capital markets after a bruising few months in which the capital has been rocked by negative headlines and a slew of firms heading towards New York.
Restart game? EU approves Microsoft’s $69bn Activision bid weeks after UK rejected deal May 15, 2023 Microsoft’s $68.7bn bid for Activision Blizzard has been approved by EU regulators today, just weeks after the UK’s competition agency blocked the deal. The EU decided to approve the deal after remedies were put in place to address competition concerns, with the European Commission saying Microsoft offered 10-year free licensing deals to customers. “These licenses [...]
CMA to probe if ‘failure in competition’ is seeing consumers overcharged for food and fuel May 15, 2023 The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today announced it will investigate whether a “failure in competition” is seeing consumers overcharged for groceries and fuel. The watchdog said it would be stepping up its work in the grocery sector to determine whether a “failure in competition is contributing to grocery prices being higher than they would [...]
FTSE 100 close: HSBC and Lloyds lead gains on London index as Turkish lira slides after inconclusive election May 15, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 kicked off a new week in decent style today, led higher by Britain’s largest banks clocking strong gains. The capital’s premier index advanced 0.30 per cent to 7,777.69 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, climbed 0.37 per cent to [...]
‘Greedflation’ not to blame for UK price surge, former rate setter claims May 15, 2023 “Greedflation” is not to blame for prices surging in the UK and instead businesses are pushing up prices in response to soaring costs, a former Bank of England rate-setter claimed today. Michael Saunders, an ex-member of the monetary policy committee – the nine strong group that sets interest rates in Britain – and now senior [...]
British American Tobacco appoints new chief executive as as analysts predict something’s ‘not right’ at BAT May 15, 2023 British American Tobacco appointed finance director Tadeu Marroco as CEO on Monday, succeeding Jack Bowles who is stepping down after about four years. Marroco started working for the tobacco firm in Brazil in 1992 and was appointed to the board in 2019. Bowles, who also joined the board in 2019, has led the maker of [...]
Heathrow vs airlines – dispute continues as parties given permission to appeal price cap May 11, 2023 Heathrow Airport and three major airlines have been granted permission to appeal the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)’s decision on the Heathrow price cap this afternoon. The airlines, which are Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and Delta Air Lines, have been locked in a fierce dispute with Heathrow over the amount the airport can charge per passenger. [...]
Nationwide, Santander, TSB and Virgin Money probed over ‘measly’ savings rates May 10, 2023 An influential parliamentary body has expanded its inquiry into the low savings rates paid by the UK’s retail banks, describing the current rates on offer as “measly”. Having investigated the UK’s four largest retail banks, MPs at the Treasury Committee have now sent letters to Nationwide, Santander, TSB and Virgin Money. These lenders account for [...]
Can regulators get the City growing? It will be hard to tell, lawyers warn May 10, 2023 The government may run into trouble as it looks to gauge the impact of City regulators in boosting the growth and international standing of the UK’s financial sector, top lawyers have warned.