Barclays told to pay £1m to more than 1,000 mortgage customers over PPI breaches November 9, 2022 The UK’s competitions watchdog has ordered Barclays to pay up to £1m in compensation to at least 1,000 of its mortgage customers, over its failure to comply with rules around Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) policies. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said Barclays should pay compensation to as many 1,306 of its mortgage customers, [...]
EU opens probe into Microsoft’s £59bn deal to buy Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard November 8, 2022 The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation into Microsoft’s proposed $68.7bn (£59.5bn) acquisition of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard. The commission said it was concerned that the proposed deal may reduce competition in the market. A preliminary investigation found that the transaction may significantly reduce competition, including multi-game subscription services and cloud game [...]
Treasury-backed fintech body calls in open banking chief as chair November 8, 2022 A government-backed body set up to boost the country’s fintech sector has appointed industry grandee Charlotte Crosswell as its chair today, as it readies to start operations following a £5.5m Treasury funding commitment last year.
FTSE 100 knocked by Beijing’s zero-Covid commitment November 7, 2022 London’s FTSE 100 today was weighed down by market sentiment softening after Chinese authorities committed to strict measures to contain Covid-19 breakouts over the weekend. The capital’s premier index dropped 0.48 per cent higher to 7,299.99 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, [...]
Lenders need to ‘step up’ to support customers, says FCA chief November 7, 2022 The City watchdog said that lenders need to “step up” to support their customers today as they are battered by soaring mortgage rates and rising prices this year.
Government must investigate energy pricing for businesses, urges hospitality body November 7, 2022 The boss of one of the country's leading hospitality bodies has urged the Government to look into energy pricing for commercial businesses.
Whitehall launches investigation into ‘profiteering’ by energy firms November 6, 2022 Whitehall officials have launched a probe into alleged profiteering by energy firms, with claims they are not passing on the benefits of recent government interventions. The government last month launched a six-month energy price cap for businesses to help them survive the continued increases in global energy prices. The Sunday Times reports that the Department [...]
Pastry prices: Watchdog warns Cérélia‘s purchase of Jus-Rol could leave UK shoppers at risk November 4, 2022 Puff pastry giant Cérélia‘s purchase of Jus-Rol could leave UK shoppers at risk of forking out higher prices, the competition watchdog has provisionally found. After an initial investigation, the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) found that a merger of the two retailers raises concerns about the impact on prices and product quality. Ready-to-bake items [...]
Hashtag Ad: Competition watchdog asks brands to be more transparent over influencer adverts November 4, 2022 The competition watchdog has published fresh guidance for Instagram influencers and big tech firms to help users identify a paid for endorsement. Regulators want to see social media publishers commit to being more open and transparent about when posts are paid for adverts. Under the new guidance, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has asked [...]
Former Cabinet Ministers urge Jeremy Hunt to ‘unshackle’ the UK’s digital economy November 3, 2022 A cross-party letter has been handed to Jeremy Hunt urging the government to change legislation that would 'unshackle' the country's digital economy.