Inconsistent and erratic regulators risk stifling our thriving vaping industry June 7, 2018 Independent vaping companies, free from ownership or control by the tobacco or pharmaceutical industries, make up 90 per cent of what is one of the fastest growing industries in Britain. UK vaping businesses are known globally for their innovation and product stewardship, and locally, independent vape shops are one of the few areas of positive [...]
Culture minister Matt Hancock confirms Sky-Fox deal can proceed as long as Sky News is divested June 5, 2018 Culture secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed that the Sky-Fox merger can go ahead, as long as Sky News is divested to Disney or another firm. If an “acceptable form of remedy” can be found, the minister said he would wave it through. Hancock said he agreed with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that there [...]
Culture minister Matt Hancock confirms Sky-Fox deal can proceed as long as Sky News is divested June 5, 2018 Culture secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed that the Sky-Fox merger can go ahead, as long as Sky News is divested to Disney or another firm. If an "acceptable form of remedy" can be found, the minister said he would wave it through. Hancock said he agreed with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that there [...]
Last Week in the City: Stiff competition in funerals? June 1, 2018 Garry White, chief investment commentator, looks at the market-moving events that have shaped the UK equity markets this week (28 May to 1 June 2018). Shares in listed funeral director Dignity slumped after the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it will examine the pre-paid funeral sector, a move that could see tougher regulation. [...]
SSE hits more than two million customers with energy price hike May 30, 2018 ‘Big six’ energy company SSE has increased prices for more than two million customers. The price hike, effective from 11 July, will lead to standard dual fuel customers paying an average of 6.7 per cent more for their energy. That means customers with typical dual fuel bills will pay £76 more per year. Read more: [...]
MPs to launch select committee inquiry into Sainsbury’s Asda merger May 20, 2018 MPs are planning their own inquiry into the tie-up of Sainsbury’s and Asda, separate to the competition watchdog’s probe. The Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (EFRA) committee is gearing up to investigate the deal due to concerns for the impact it could have on suppliers to the supermarkets, The Mail on Sunday reported. This comes [...]
Last Week in the City: England has an 8.5% chance of winning the World Cup May 18, 2018 Garry White, chief investment commentator, looks at the market-moving events that have shaped the UK equity markets this week (14 to 18 May 2018). UBS has used its City analysts’ predictive firepower to try and work out the winner of the upcoming World Cup in Russia – and England came surprisingly high in its league [...]
Competition and Markets Authority starts scrutiny of Sainsbury’s-Asda merger ahead of formal investigation May 18, 2018 The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said today it was kicking off its scrutiny of the proposed merger between supermarket giants Sainsbury’s and Asda. Sainsbury’s announced at the end of last month that it intended to merge with Asda, which is currently owned by Walmart in the US. The two have said a deal will [...]
DEBATE: In the wake of the Carillion scandal, is it time to break up the Big Four accountancy firms? May 17, 2018 In the wake of the Carillion scandal, is it time to break up the Big Four accountancy firms? Rachel Reeves MP, chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, says YES. Virtually all the FTSE 250 are audited by the Big Four. This cosy and complacent club has long, lucrative relationships with these companies. [...]
Big Tech must be tamed, for the sake of a fair society May 17, 2018 Just as the competitive oil rush gave way to Rockefeller’s new monopoly in the form of Standard Oil, so the internet’s infrastructure is being built around a handful of companies of immense and growing power: Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon, along with their Chinese equivalents, Tencent, Alibaba, and Baidu. There are real concerns that while [...]