Post-Brexit change: EU state aid rules to be replaced by new UK regime June 30, 2021 Post-Brexit change: EU state aid rules to be replaced by new UK regime
TfL under fire over ‘hidden subsidies’ for Uber Thames Clipper services June 30, 2021 Transport for London (TfL) is tonight under pressure after a complaint was lodged with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over “hidden subsidies” for the Uber Thames Clipper ferry service. Romford MP Andrew Rosindell and London Assembly Member Keith Prince have written to the CMA saying that the firm is being given “an unfair and [...]
Directors, beware: Corporate governance overhauls could end with personal liability June 28, 2021 Corporate governance in the UK is about to undergo its biggest transformation in a generation. Next month, the Government consultation into the powers held by the new Audit Regulation and Governance Authority (ARGA), closes. Some of the proposals are seismic, driven by corporate scandals, and could mean directors of public companies, large AIM-listed and large [...]
Google delays cookie ban after UK watchdog pressure June 25, 2021 Google has delayed plans to remove third-party cookies from its Chrome browser by almost two years following pressure from rivals and competition regulators. The search engine giant had planned to ban companies from gathering users’ browsing data from January next year, but has now pushed back the move to the end of 2023. Google said [...]
Amazon and Google hit with competition probe over fake reviews June 25, 2021 Amazon and Google have been hit with a competition probe in the UK over concerns they have not done enough to tackle fake reviews on their sites. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today opened a formal investigation into the tech platforms to examine whether they have broken consumer laws by taking insufficient action to [...]
UK credit score giant Clearscore heading for unicorn status after $200m Invus injection June 24, 2021 Clearscore, a free-to-use credit check company based in London, has reportedly accepted a $200m (£144m) investment from US-based fund Invus Opportunities. As reported by Sky News, the deal values the company at $700m (£503m), placing it on track for unicorn valuation. The company plans to use the funding to grow its staff numbers, product offerings [...]
Homeowners could still sue for damages amid leasehold ground rent reforms June 24, 2021 Even though Persimmon Homes and Aviva have agreed to change the way they operate in regard to leaseholds and ground rent charges, homeowners could still be entitled to compensation, according to legal experts. Following a recent investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), house builder Persimmon will allow its leaseholders to buy the freehold [...]
Could global growth this year be the fastest this century? June 23, 2021 The world economy is set for its fastest year of growth in the 21st century this year, according to our latest forecasts. We now think global GDP is set to expand by 5.9 per cent in 2021, having upgraded our previous forecast of 5.3 per cent. As lockdowns ease, the service sector – which includes businesses [...]
Labour says government should intervene in private equity takeover of Morrisons June 23, 2021 Labour has called on the government to confirm it will intervene in any private equity takeover of Morrisons to secure binding commitments about the buyer’s business plan, on jobs and on pensions. Morrisons revealed this weekend it had rejected a £5.5bn takeover bid from private equity firm Clayton, Dubiliter & Rice (CD&R), saying it believed [...]
Persimmon and Aviva agree to make leasehold payments fairer for homeowners after CMA probe June 23, 2021 Following an investigation by the UK’s markets watchdog, housebuilder Persimmon and financial services group Aviva have agreed to overhaul their leasehold contracts to make payments fairer for homeowners. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation into Persimonn’s leaseholds pushed the housebuilder to cap the price of freehold at £2,000 in its Right to Buy scheme [...]