Rachel Reeves needs to get real with the fact that we have become too cautious November 13, 2024 Before the election, Rachel Reeves said she would “unashamedly champion” financial services “as one of the UK’s greatest assets”. This was music to the ears of our sector and the early signs in government have been positive. The question now is: what will this mean in practice? What is the Chancellor’s vision for financial services [...]
Vodafone boss shrugs off Budget as company set to double-down on UK November 12, 2024 The boss of the FTSE 100 telecoms giant Vodafone has shrugged off suggestions Labour’s tax-raising Budget will have an impact on the business. Vodafone chief executive Margherita Della Valle estimated the Budget’s total cost to Vodafone at around £10m in a call with investors and analysts following its half-year results, published this morning. “In the [...]
What the City of London wants from Reeves’s Mansion House speech November 12, 2024 Treasury officials have been hitting the phones to City firms over the past two weeks as Rachel Reeves prepares to deliver the government’s annual Mansion House speech to the financial services sector. The backdrop is a fractious one for the Chancellor. While the Labour party built cordial ties with the Square Mile in the run [...]
Motorola in last chance saloon to overturn competition regulator’s charge control November 11, 2024 Telecoms giant Motorola is at court today as it seeks to overturn a decision by the competition regulator to impose a charge control on its subsidiary
What business can learn from military drone tactics — and what to avoid November 11, 2024 Drone technology could transform how we do business, but brings practical and ethical difficulties with it, says Paul Armstrong For businesses, the military’s use of AI-enabled drones offers a potent model of efficiency: remote inspection, logistics, and hazard mitigation. Imagine swarming AI drones optimising supply chains or inspecting dangerous infrastructure. The capabilities honed in combat [...]
How the accounting watchdog is looking to unleash the City November 11, 2024 As Richard Moriarty gripped the sides of a podium and spoke freely from a sheet of bullet points at the London Stock Exchange in September, a warmth was stirring among certain City executives in the room. The tie-less career regulator, boss of the audit watchdog, the Financial Reporting Council, laid out his plans to shake [...]
Vodafone: FTSE 100 giant set to report after Three deal gets boost November 10, 2024 Vodafone's share price has barely moved this year, up just over three per cent since January, despite an ongoing turnaround effort.
Baby formula price cap could be considered by ministers, regulator says November 8, 2024 The government could consider introducing a price cap on baby formula with the aim of cutting costs for parents, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has said. Parents are left “paying over the odds” for formula milk due to concerns around regulation in the market, the watchdog has said in an interim report into the [...]
FCA lays out research changes to boost investment into London markets November 5, 2024 The Financial Conduct Authority has revealed a host of changes to investment research rules today in an attempt to enhance analysts’ coverage of smaller companies and boost investment into the stock market. A lack of investment research in the UK has been frequently cited as a key reason for declining investment in Britain over the [...]
Dairy lost over £10m before being gobbled up by Müller November 5, 2024 A Lancashire diary slumped to a loss of more than £10m in the year before it was acquired by milk and yoghurt giant Müller, it has been revealed. Yew Tree Diary has reported a pre-tax loss of £10.2m for the 12 months to 31 March, 2024. The loss comes after the business made a pre-tax [...]