Watchdog says accountancy firms failing to challenge management of firms they audit November 5, 2019 Audit watchdog the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) today warned that the top firms were failing to be robust enough in challenging management of the companies they audit. The audit sector is in the political and regulatory spotlight following company failures such as the collapse of travel agent Thomas Cook and outsourcer Carillion. The FRC today [...]
New car sales continue downward slide as consumer confidence remains fragile November 5, 2019 New car registrations fell 6.7 per cent in October, figures released today showed. Private demand plunged 13.2 per cent, while fleet demand remained stable, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The SMMT said 10,348 fewer cars were registered than in October last year, which it said reflected a tough [...]
Thomas Cook collapse: MPs slam government inaction and lack of audit reform November 4, 2019 Business secretary Andrea Leadsom has come under fire from MPs for “the extraordinary lack of interest” she showed in Thomas Cook in the run-up to its collapse, amid growing calls for wide-ranging regulatory reform. In a scathing conclusion to the business select committee’s (BEIS) review into the travel giant’s liquidation, MPs expressed their frustration that [...]
UK economy to hit decade-low even with Brexit deal, report warns November 4, 2019 Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal will fail to boost the slowing UK economy in 2020, a new report has warned, with weak global growth and continued uncertainty about Britain’s trading relationships set to outweigh any benefits from the agreement. Read more: Nigel Farage: Brexit party will run in every seat if Boris Johnson rejects olive branch [...]
EU mulls new anti-money laundering body following scandals October 31, 2019 The EU is set to explore the creation of a new central authority to tackle money laundering after a series of high-profile scandals highlighted the bloc’s weakness in preventing dirty cash flowing through its banks. Finance ministers from EU countries are expected to mandate the European Commission to recommend a new “independent” enforcement body with [...]
Mortgage approvals boosted as buyers rush ahead of Brexit October 29, 2019 Mortgage approvals were boosted last month as prospective buyers rushed to complete home purchases ahead of the 31 October Brexit deadline date. The latest figures from the Bank of England (BoE) showed mortgage approvals for house purchases reached 65,919 in September after falling to a three-month low of 65,681 the previous month. Read more: New [...]
Government faces calls for reform as data shows dominance of Big Four audit firms October 29, 2019 Data published yesterday by the audit watchdog showed that the Big Four accounting firms increased their market share of the UK audit market in 2018. The lack of competition in the sector has come under the microscope following scandals such as the failures of outsourcer Carillion and department store BHS which both received clean bills [...]
EY accused of failing to report drug gang’s gold bar money laundering October 28, 2019 Big Four accountancy firm EY failed to report evidence of smuggling by a criminal gang that was using black market gold to launder dirty money, according to a new investigation. The crime gang allegedly collected money from drug dealers across the UK and Europe and then laundered the money by buying and selling black market [...]
London’s Aim still well ahead of competitors despite rough year October 28, 2019 London’s Alternative Investment Market (Aim) remains by far the biggest growth stock market in Europe despite falling numbers of floats and questions over regulatory standards, new analysis has shown. Read more: Muddy Waters says Burford Capital ‘continues to evade key questions’ about its accounting In the year ending in September, £3.9bn of capital was raised [...]
UK mortgage approvals slip to six-month low October 24, 2019 The number of new mortgages approved by UK banks fell to a six-month low in September, survey data has revealed, suggesting Britain’s property market is slowing as Brexit uncertainty continues. Read more: UK house prices suffer slowest October rise since 2008 Banking trade association UK Finance said banks gave the green light to 42,310 loans [...]