American candy stores or retail hub? What might be next for Oxford Street March 19, 2023 It has been three years since the UK was plunged into its first-ever full scale lockdown – forcing the majority of stores in London’s West End to temporarily cease trading and arguably altering the state of physical retail forever. The pandemic forced once seemingly indestructible retailers such as Debenhams, Topshop, and Gap off Oxford Street, [...]
American candy stores: Calls for ‘stronger’ laws and business rate reform to clamp down on shops which blight Oxford Street March 17, 2023 Westminster City Council has called for a “stronger” economic crime bill and reform of business rates to officially bring a halt to American candy and souvenir stores which continue to litter Oxford Street. “We are dealing here with a sophisticated operation which is skilled at exploiting UK legal loopholes,” Cllr Adam Hug, leader of Westminster [...]
FTSE 100 live: Oil rises to the top of London’s blue chip index as week’s trading draws to a close March 17, 2023 A rise in oil prices bolstered a FTSE 100 which had been battered by knocks in confidence over the banking sector most of the week. The FTSE 100 was last up 80.62 points at 7,490.65, a rise of 1.09 per cent, while the FTSE 250 – which includes more UK-centric listed companies was trading at [...]
Not going anywhere: Former PM Boris Johnson re selected as Uxbridge Tory candidate March 17, 2023 Boris Johnson has been re-selected as the Conservative candidate in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency. It comes following speculation that the former prime minister might seek out a safer seat, ahead of the next general election. “I can confirm Boris Johnson has been reselected as the Conservative candidate in Uxbridge and South Ruislip,” a [...]
Cheltenham Diary March 17, 2023 New ‘track’ for 2023 festival You’ve got the New Course and the Old Course, but there’s another track that everyone’s talking about at Prestbury Park this year. In conjunction with The Jockey Club, UK producer DJ Cuddles has remixed the famous Cheltenham Roar to create a dance anthem titled ‘Roar Remix’! Whether you wince, laugh [...]
Explainer: Why Waitrose is no longer the jewel in the John Lewis crown and how the group’s future may lie in property, not produce March 17, 2023 Times are tough for John Lewis as chair Sharon White admitted when the high street stalwart this week announced it had made a £234m loss in 2022. The sum was worse than market expectations and marked the second year the upmarket retailer had gone into the red. In a sympathetic letter addressed to the company’s [...]
First Republic: US stocks rally after 11 banks including JP Morgan, Citi and Goldman stump up $30bn in rescue effort March 17, 2023 US stocks rallied on Thursday after a group of big banks offered a lifeline to the bank that investors had zeroed in on in their hunt for the industry’s next victim. The S&P 500 jumped 1.8 per cent for its best day in nearly two months after 11 of the biggest banks said they would [...]
UK risks losing out on green energy projects under latest government auction plans March 16, 2023 The UK will miss out on vital investment in energy projects in the upcoming renewable auction this month, warned Renewable UK.
One of Britain’s biggest killers is largely preventable. And it might only take a test March 16, 2023 Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of deaths in England. Many people don’t know about it, or think it doesn’t affect them – yet it is the cause of one in four deaths across England. The good news is that CVD is largely preventable and your blood pressure is the easiest way to tell if [...]
Dominic Raab claims staff ‘relish’ ambitious agenda as bullying inquiry continues March 16, 2023 Justice secretary Dominic Raab has said the “overwhelming majority” of his staff “relish” working on his “very ambitious agenda”, as an ongoing inquiry into bullying claims continues. Adam Tolley KC is investigating bullying claims and considering a number of formal complaints made by senior civil servants against Raab, who is also deputy prime minister. Asked [...]