Brits just want some space: Detached property sales outpace other housing May 27, 2023 Detached houses were the most popular type of property among existing homeowners moving home with a mortgage in the year to March, according to analysis of a lending giant’s data. Halifax said detached homes accounted for nearly a third (32%) of such sales, rising from a quarter (25%) a decade ago. While detached homes were [...]
Aspects of love, London, review: Flatly ridiculous, utterly gorgeous Michael Ball musical May 26, 2023 Aspects of Love review and star rating: ★★★★ I think I must be mad, but I really enjoyed this absolutely morally bankrupt musical about a weirdly incestual group that all seem to have sex with each other, no matter their relation to one another, and no matter how flatly ridiculous it all seems. I’ve never [...]
Lloyd’s of London targeted by eco activists with smoke flares and setting off fire alarms May 25, 2023 Smoke engulfed the entrance to insurance hub Lloyd’s of London today as eco protestors set off fire alarms to disrupt activity over of its alleged links to the fossil fuel industry.
FTSE 100 close: London index extends losses as pound slides and bond yields soar May 25, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 continued yesterday’s wobble today driven by investors fretting over how high the Bank of England will have to send interest rates to tame sticky inflation. The capital’s premier index slipped 0.74 per cent to 7,570.88 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the [...]
The Square Mile and Me with HowdenCAP’s Mary O’Connor May 25, 2023 Each week we ask the Square Mile’s great and good to take a trip down memory lane. This week, it’s HowdenCAP’s Mary O’Connor on her time as a regulator, the insurance industry, and a well-hidden bar What was your first job? Filling jam doughnuts at the local bakery. I started at 5am! What was your [...]
FTSE 100 close: Stress over US debt ceiling talks drag London index as IMF ditches UK recession forecast May 23, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 nipped lower today as investors zeroed in on the latest developments in talks between Republicans and Democrats about raising the debt ceiling. The capital’s premier index slipped 0.1 per cent to 7,762.96 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, dipped [...]
Chancellor: Forget hybrid TWaTs, it’s the office by “default” May 17, 2023 The Chancellor has said that the office should be the “default” location for work, even after the rise of hybrid working in the pandemic. Vast swathes of workers in white collar jobs have switched out of the office for at least two or three days a week, with the term ‘twat’ now used to describe [...]
Passengers ‘flung around’ as Croydon tram hit curve at triple the speed limit, court hears May 17, 2023 Passengers in the Croydon tram disaster were “flung around” as if in a washing machine after their driver attempted a curve at more than three times the speed limit, a court has heard. Alfred Dorris, 49, is on trial at the Old Bailey over the derailment at Sandilands in south London on November 9 2016 [...]
FTSE 100 close: HSBC and Lloyds lead gains on London index as Turkish lira slides after inconclusive election May 15, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 kicked off a new week in decent style today, led higher by Britain’s largest banks clocking strong gains. The capital’s premier index advanced 0.30 per cent to 7,777.69 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, climbed 0.37 per cent to [...]
‘Welcome back!’: Sunak embraces Ukraine’s Zelensky as he visits UK in bid for more help to fight Russia May 15, 2023 The UK will provide Ukraine with air defence missiles and attack drones, Downing Street has announced, as Volodymyr Zelensky met Rishi Sunak at Chequers. In the latest leg of the Ukrainian president’s tour of western allies, Mr Zelensky said the two leaders would have “substantive negotiations” on the response to Russia’s invasion. Downing Street said [...]