Tory grandee calls on justice secretary to quit amid division over Brexit bill September 10, 2020 Sir Roger Gale has called for justice secretary Robert Buckland to resign over the internal market bill, escalating Tory division over whether the government is breaking international law. The Tory grandee said he “would expect the justice secretary under these terms to fall on his sword”. It comes as the Brexit bill is due to [...]
McLaren puts iconic Woking HQ up for sale for £200m September 10, 2020 Sports car maker McLaren has put its iconic headquarters near Woking in Surrey up for sale in a bid to shore up its balance sheet amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Sky News first reported that the firm has instructed property agent Colliers to begin marketing a sale-and-leaseback of the McLaren Technology Centre, with offers in [...]
The Hut Group confirms £4.5bn stock market listing September 10, 2020 The Hut Group has confirmed it is set to price its initial public offering at £5 per share, valuing the e-commerce retailer at £4.5bn The £920m float will make it the largest listing of a British company since 2013. The Hut Group will list at least 20 per cent of its stock. It is also [...]
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary slams ‘bizarre’ quarantine rules September 9, 2020 Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has slammed the government for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, describing its quarantine restrictions as “bizarre” and lacking in “common sense”. Speaking to Sky News this morning, O’Leary said that ministers were “making this stuff as they go along to cover up the fact that test and tracing is effectively [...]
Pizza Hut to close 29 restaurants, putting 450 jobs at risk September 9, 2020 Pizza Hut has announced plans to close 29 restaurants in the UK, putting 450 jobs at risk. The fast food chain is the latest firm to launch a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) during the coronavirus pandemic, as it seeks to cut rents and exit loss-making stores, according to reports. Pizza Hut Restaurants, which is separate [...]
Halfords warns of profit fall despite cycling boom September 8, 2020 Halfords today said booming demand for cycling products had boosted revenue during the coronavirus outbreak but warned of a fall in profit for the second half of the year. The car parts retailer reported a five per cent rise in like-for-like revenue in the 20-weeks to 21 August. This was driven by a sharp rise [...]
Two City professional bodies to share Walkie Talkie office space in home working drive September 8, 2020 Two of the City’s biggest financial services professional bodies will share an office in the Walkie Talkie as they seek to downsize their property footprints as part of a home working drive following the coronavirus lockdown. The Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) and the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) will share a floor at [...]
Thomas Cook tipped for relaunch as online-only travel agent September 7, 2020 Iconic travel agent Thomas Cook could be relaunched as early as this month, a year after the firm went bust in dramatic circumstances. Sky News reported that Chinese conglomerate Fosun, which bought the company’s name and intellectual property assets for just £11m, is drawing up plans to reinvent the 178-year-old firm as an online travel [...]
Brexit: UK ‘won’t blink’ in EU trade talks, says chief negotiator September 6, 2020 The UK’s chief Brexit negotiator David Frost has warned the EU it will “not blink” in negotiations as fears grow that a no-deal exit is on the cards. Talks are set to resume between the UK and EU in London next week, with both sides deadlocked over several key issues. The deadline for the deal [...]
Grant Shapps admits quarantine regime ‘confusing’ for travellers September 4, 2020 Transport secretary Grant Shapps has admitted that the differences to the UK’s quarantine policies across the four nations are creating “confusion” for travellers. Speaking to Sky News this morning, Shapps said that he could only be responsible for the restrictions in England, not Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. “I do realise it creates confusion for [...]