UK house price growth slows in May amid Brexit uncertainty May 31, 2019 Annual growth of UK house prices remained below one per cent for the sixth consecutive month in May, as political uncertainty continued to weigh on the property market. Prices fell 0.2 per cent month-on month, while annual house price growth slowed to 0.6 per cent, falling from 0.9 per cent in April and below the [...]
Outsourcer Amey agrees terms for £300m deal to escape Birmingham roads contract May 30, 2019 Contractor Amey is close to reaching a £300m agreement that would see it pay its way out of a maintenance contract for Birmingham’s 1,600-mile road network, it is reported. Read more: Amey 'offers £300m' to Birmingham city council to escape road contract Amey’s deal with Birmingham City Council and the government will see it pay [...]
Hiring disabled people is a trillion-dollar business opportunity May 29, 2019 Government figures show that over the past five years, some 930,000 disabled people have found employment – an increase of 7.4 per cent, compared with 3.8 per cent for non-disabled people. That serves a heady shot of optimism for people like me who live and work with a disability, especially when you consider that globally, disabled [...]
UK mortgage approvals hit two-year high following Brexit extension May 28, 2019 The number of mortgage approvals for house purchases in the UK reached a two-year high in April, a survey showed today, suggesting the country’s housing market may be recovering from a recent slowdown. Read more: Mortgage approvals fall as lending to businesses also drops UK banks approved 42,989 mortgages in April, the highest figure since [...]
Sluggish economic growth to continue as demand for lending falls May 28, 2019 The UK economy’s sluggish growth shows no signs of letting up, with all three major lending classes set to grow less than two per cent this year, new figures have revealed. Despite an uptick in real incomes, demand for consumer credit is forecast to grow just 1.6 per cent this year and two per cent [...]
HM Treasury launches probe into FCA regulation of collapsed firm London Capital & Finance May 23, 2019 HM Treasury has launched an investigation into the collapse of investment firm London Capital & Finance, which will probe the actions of the Financial Conduct Authority. The independent review, which will be lead by Dame Elizabeth Gloster and is expected to take 12 months, will investigate the circumstances surrounding the failure of LCF, which went into [...]
British Steel falls into insolvency after government bailout talks fail, in ‘devastating’ blow for 5,000 workers May 22, 2019 British Steel has collapsed into insolvency after the last week of attempts to lobby the government for a £75m cash injection failed. Read more: Troubled British Steel braces for insolvency in last-ditch loan talks The industrial giant – which employs 5,000 people – has been asking the government for an emergency loan designed to save [...]
BT’s brand value drops as new boss prepares image overhaul May 21, 2019 The value of telecoms giant BT’s brand slumped this year as new chief executive Philip Jansen prepares to overhaul the company’s image. BT dropped two rankings to 10th place this year as its brand value, which is calculated as the net economic benefit its owner would receive if it licensed the brand in the open [...]
Government faces calls to safeguard British Steel jobs as company edges closer to administration May 21, 2019 Whitehall officials this morning faced calls to “put their money where their mouth is” by giving British Steel the funding it needs to avoid administration and safeguard tens of thousands of jobs. Read more: Troubled British Steel braces for insolvency in last-ditch loan talks Britain’s second-biggest steel maker has for the last week been lobbying [...]
City Moves for 21 May – Who’s switching jobs at Cazoo, Invesco and Headland? May 21, 2019 Today's City Moves includes Cazoo, Invesco and Headland. Cazoo Cazoo has announced Alex Gersh, formerly chief financial officer (CFO) of Paddy Power Betfair, has joined as its first CFO. Having raised over £30m late last year, Cazoo is seeking to transform the used car market in the UK. Alex joins Cazoo after spending 6 years [...]