Vanquis shares jump after recovery from complaints storm May 14, 2025 Shares in Vanquis Banking Group rose on Wednesday after the firm said it had swung back into profitability following a major blow from complaints in 2024. The London-listed bank’s stock was up nearly seven per cent as markets opened, trading above 75p. The Bradford-based lender recorded £2bn in net receivables, the total money expected to [...]
Kwik Fit founder Sir Tom Farmer dies aged 84, family says May 10, 2025 Scottish entrepreneur Sir Tom Farmer has died at the age of 84, his family has announced. Sir Tom, who founded the garage chain Kwik Fit, was also a former director of MyTravel Group and Scottish Power, died at his Edinburgh home on Friday. He owned a majority stake in Hibernian Football Club for 28 years, [...]
Trainline to take on Labour as shares plunge May 7, 2025 Trainline shares fell nearly eight per cent in early deals on Wednesday despite ticket sales reaching almost £6bn across its platform. The London-listed ticketing app’s stock price has fallen by more than a third this year due to concerns over government plans to launch a rival state-owned service. Trainline said it was taking an “increasingly [...]
Vanquis and Barclays lead surge in bank complaints amid motor finance May 7, 2025 Banking complaints rocketed by 76 per cent in the second half of 2024 as the motor finance scandal continued to haunt the sector, according to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The regulator revealed of the 141,846 complaints made to the FOS, 77 per cent were related to banking and credit at 109,155. This also marked [...]
Sadiq Khan is squandering the success of the Elizabeth Line May 1, 2025 Despite the popularity and success of the Elizabeth Line, other major transport projects in the capital are in limbo, writes James Ford Everybody loves the Elizabeth Line, right? There are the sleek, open-plan trains, the breathtaking, well-designed stations and, perhaps best of all, there are the smooth and swift journey times that have created new [...]
Mini Aceman is an electric SUV with more character than most April 30, 2025 It has been nearly a quarter of a century since BMW revived the Mini. Reinterpreting an icon held close to many hearts is a risky business, as proven by Jaguar’s controversial rebrand and Ford’s attempt to revive the Capri. However, BMW’s Mini is one of the most successful comebacks for a classic name, making the [...]
Ford is killing off the Ford Focus – but why? April 29, 2025 Thirty years ago, one in five new cars sold in Britain wore a Ford badge. The Escort was the nation’s favourite – as it had been for decades – followed by the Fiesta in second place and the Mondeo in third. Today, Ford has slipped to fifth place in the UK market, behind Volkswagen, BMW, [...]
Eat, Drink, Sleep, Repeat: Our top food columnist on his favourite New York dining spots April 24, 2025 Restaurants can have a greater purpose than simply offering heightened hospitality; this week I met the CEO’s of the ‘Only a Pavement Away’ charity and ‘Not for sale’ movement, both of which I worked with for the past eight years as CEO of Gaucho and M restaurants. OAPA identifies disadvantaged, vulnerable people often due for [...]
Black cabs stand ready to compete with Uber, but not in a race to the bottom April 24, 2025 The London tax trade is a rigged market where app-based operators have enjoyed years of political indulgence while black cabs are subjected to an ever-tougher regulatory environment, says Mark White James Ford’s recent City AM column – ‘The London taxi trade is dying – and it’s not Uber’s fault’ – is less a diagnosis than [...]
Ford on the hook for £61m in motor finance scandal April 22, 2025 Ford has set aside as much as £61m as it becomes the latest company to be stung by the motor finance scandal. The American car manufacturer’s subsidiary FCE Bank made the provision for its British motor finance division in its latest accounts. The Essex-based FCE Bank said the provision reflected “estimated economic outflow” should a [...]