It’s high time Britain faced up to the risks of radical devolution of power March 25, 2015 In all the sound and fury of the coming election, it’s important not to forget the areas where the parties agree. This includes support for much greater “localism” and devolution of power from central government – and not just to Scotland. One example is George Osborne’s support for an elected Manchester “super mayor”, a move [...]
Kingfisher bid for rival Mr Bricolage has suffered a setback March 24, 2015 Europe's biggest home improvement retailer Kingfisher suffered a setback to its bid for rival Mr Bricolage. The B&Q owner, which makes about half of its annual profit in France, said the board of Mr Bricolage and franchisee group ANPF, a major shareholder of the company, have reservations about the takeover deal and are yet to receive clarification [...]
Dairy Crest sale of milk business to Muller referred back to UK watchdog March 23, 2015 Dairy Crest Group said yesterday that it was still on track to sell its dairy operations after being referred back to the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) yesterday by the European Commission for review. The company behind Cathedral City cheese and Frijj milkshakes is in the process of selling its loss-making liquid milk business [...]
CityFibre asks watchdog to level playing field after BT-EE merger March 23, 2015 High speed fibre optic firm CityFibre has attacked BT, saying its planned acquisition of EE would “stifle innovation” and “deliver little tangible benefit for consumers”. CityFibre revealed the objection this morning, saying that it submitted a formal complaint to the Competition Markets Authority (CMA) on Friday. The company demanded Ofcom be allowed to enforce extra [...]
Budget 2015: A quick guide to all the key measures March 18, 2015 Chancellor delivers good news for savers and first-time buyers as he turns up heat on banks in play for votes ahead of election. UK ECONOMIC OUTLOOK ● The UK was the fastest growing economy in the G7 last year. However, the economy grew by just 0.5 per cent in the final three months of 2014, [...]
Budget 2015: Here are George Osborne’s best quotes plus his Budget speech in full March 18, 2015 George Osborne's final Budget during this parliament had few surprises but plenty of great quips, including – to the dismay of bookies everywhere – a quip about Ed Miliband's now-infamous second kitchen. Here's a selection of our favourites from today's big speech. (Source: Getty/City A.M.) (Source: Getty/City A.M) (Source: Getty/City A.M.) [...]
Ryanair charters towards launch of first flights to United States March 16, 2015 IRISH airline Ryanair has its eyes set on America and will begin pursuing transatlantic possibilities, the company reported yesterday. The flight service known for its “no-frills, low-cost” currently operates in 30 countries in Europe and North Africa, and is looking to expand to 12 to 14 cities in the United States. “European consumers want lower [...]
Dollar surge: Just how much stronger will the currency get? March 16, 2015 The US Fed meeting this week will have big implications Yesterday saw some respite for those worrying about a surging dollar, as the euro rose just under 1 per cent to the $1.05 mark. But this did little to change the wider picture. Partly driven by divergent monetary policy paths in the US and the [...]
MPs warn breaking up banks may be best for competition March 10, 2015 BREAKING up the banks is one of the remedies for a lack of competition in the market, MPs on the Treasury Select Committee (TSC) have suggested. “Millions of consumers and small businesses have been getting a poor deal for decades because of a lack of effective competition and genuine choice in banking,” the committee said [...]
Britain’s quiet FinTech revolution has begun – and we’re determined to back it March 9, 2015 Whisper it, but there is a quiet revolution going on in British banking. If you don’t work in the financial world, you may never even have heard of the UK’s burgeoning financial technology or “fintech” sector. And you almost certainly won’t know about the opportunities it offers. So what is fintech? For me, it is [...]