Crossrail contractors could ask for more money to meet opening deadline, EY warns June 10, 2019 Crossrail’s contractors are likely to demand more money if they are rushed towards the new 2019/2020 opening date, auditor EY has warned. The big four auditor has warned Transport for London (TfL) that such an outcome could increase pressure on the transport body, which is already battling the costs of the Crossrail delay. Read more: [...]
Pound falls as UK economy shrinks by 0.4 per cent in April June 10, 2019 The UK economy contracted by 0.4 per cent in April as car plant shutdowns due to Brexit and the unwinding of stockpiling dented output, official figures have revealed. Read more: Brexit helps manufacturing fall to 34-month low Sterling fell below $1.27 as traders digested the worse-than-expected news. It had fallen 0.4 per cent to buy [...]
British public’s inflation expectations hit 10-year high June 7, 2019 The British public’s expectations for inflation over the next five years has risen to the highest level in more than a decade. The Bank of England’s quarterly survey showed that the public’s average inflation expectations in five years has risen to 3.8 per cent, compared to 3.4 per cent in February. But short-term expectations over [...]
Ferrexpo shares increase on earnings expections rise June 7, 2019 Shares in oil and gas giant Ferrexpo jumped eight per cent this morning after the miner announced that earnings are expected to rise. Ferrexpo said group earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization would “increase materially” compared with the first half of 2018. Read more: Oil dips to four month low as US inventories soar [...]
UK house prices grow at fastest rate for two years despite uncertainty June 7, 2019 UK house prices grew at their fastest rate for two years in May with an increase of 5.2 per cent year on year, according to new data released today. The value of the average UK home rose by 0.5 per cent from April to £237,837 last month, the Halifax House Price Index revealed, increasing by [...]
CMA head Lord Tyrie warns Big Four that appetite for audit reform is ‘very strong’ June 5, 2019 The chair of the Competition and Markets Authority Lord Tyrie today warned the Big Four that the appetite for reform of the audit market is “very strong” in government and parliament. “I think the market needs to realise, if they don’t already, that the appetite for whatever is required to address this is very strong, [...]
Mortgage approvals rebound after delay on Brexit deadline May 31, 2019 Mortgage approvals for house purchases hit a three-month high in April, rebounding after Britain's March deadline for Brexit was postponed. The number of residential mortgages approved in April ticked up to roughly 66,300, nearing a two-year average and bouncing back from a fall in March, according to new data released this morning by the Bank [...]
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 [...]