Major shakeup is needed to fix the Big Four, expert says March 18, 2022 A prominent academic has called on the government to expedite its audit reforms, after arguing a serious shakeup is needed to prevent an “appalling” situation from getting worse. Speaking to City A.M. accountancy expert Professor Atul Shah said, “the record of the UK’s auditing industry has been appalling over the last two decades and it’s [...]
Big Four auditors EY, KPMG, Deloitte and PwC face SEC probe over conflicts-of-interest March 16, 2022 The US watchdog tasked with regulating financial markets has launched an investigation into potential conflicts of interest in the Big Four accountancy companies. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has set up a probe into whether the Big Four’s businesses selling consulting and non-audit services undermine their ability to provide objective and independent audits, [...]
Lambeth tower proposal causes resident rebellion March 15, 2022 A tower-block-proposal in Lambeth has come under fire from local residents, with attention turning to the record of council-owned housing company Homes for Lambeth. The proposal for three towers all above nine storeys will block sunlight reaching a nearby park, playground and school and involve the uprooting of 43 trees. Residents complain that the project [...]
UK accountancy watchdog fines KPMG £1.25m over audit of bar chain Revolution March 8, 2022 Britain’s accountancy watchdog today fined KPMG £1.25m over its audit of bar chain company Revolution. The UK’s Financial Reporting Council (FRC) fined Big Four accountancy giant KPMG £1.25m and former-KPMG director Michael Neil Frankish £50,000, over failures in the audit of Revolution Bars Group’s accounts for the financial year 2015/16. The fines come after FRC [...]
Ukraine war day four: Russian Army enters country’s second-largest city as fighting continues February 27, 2022 Russian troops have entered Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv and fighting is under way in the streets, Ukrainian authorities have said. Oleh Sinehubov, head of the Kharkiv regional administration, said Ukrainian forces are fighting Russian troops in the city and asked civilians not to leave their homes. Russian troops approached Kharkiv, which is located about [...]
Fall from your royal grace: York councillors taking steps to remove Prince Andrew’s 1987 freedom of the city February 19, 2022 Councillors in York have said this weekend that they are taking steps to remove the Duke of York’s freedom of the city. Prince Andrew was given the Honorary Freedom of the City of York in 1987 but Liberal Democrats, who form the largest group on City of York Council, said a motion to begin the [...]
UK government to set out plans for audit watchdog overhaul imminently after years of delays February 14, 2022 UK government ministers will set out their plans to reform regulation of the UK’s auditing industry within the coming weeks, after calls for an overhaul first emerged in 2018 in response to the collapse of UK construction contractor Carillion. The proposals are currently being circulated and are set to be signed off imminently, according to [...]
UK watchdog probes audit of Sanjeev Gupta’s Liberty Commodities, in wake of Greensill scandal February 10, 2022 The UK’s audit watchdog has launched an investigation into HW Fisher’s audit of Sanjeev Gupta’s metals trading company Liberty Commodities, after eight companies linked to the steel magnate borrowed up to £400m from collapsed firm Greensill Capital. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) said it has launched a probe into London accountant HW Fisher’s audit of [...]
Former KPMG auditors claim watchdog failed to give them a fair hearing over Carillion allegations February 10, 2022 The former KPMG employees being investigated by the UK’s accountancy watchdog over their work auditing collapsed construction giant Carillion have claimed the regulator has failed to give them a fair hearing. The former KPMG employees said the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) did not give them an opportunity to answer all of the allegations against them, [...]
UK government appoints four new directors to FRC in shakeup of audit regulator February 8, 2022 The UK government has put four new directors on the board of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), amid a shakeup of the UK’s audit regulator. The appointments come after former Rio Tinto chairman Sir Jan du Plessis – the government’s pick to head the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) – said the watchdog is in a [...]