Barclays boss John McFarlane to join Treasury financial services board July 19, 2015 John McFarlane, executive chairman of Barclays, is set to join the Treasury’s Financial Services Trade and Investment Board (FSTIB) as an external member today. The FSTIB was set up to identify opportunities for growth across the UK financial sector. McFarlane, who has been nicknamed “Mack the Knife”, played a pivotal role in the recent high-profile [...]
Newly elected Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron accused of being “illiberal” on gay rights July 19, 2015 Newly elected Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has come under fire after repeatedly avoiding answering whether he considers gay sex to be a sin. In a live TV interview with Channel 4 news on Friday night, Farron avoided giving a direct answer to the question three times, instead saying that understanding Christianity is “to understand [...]
FTSE edges up but can not beat rise in Eurozone – London Report July 16, 2015 BRITAIN’S top share index edged higher yesterday, though without matching the gains seen across the Eurozone after Greece’s parliament approved austerity measures, with US-exposed stocks getting a lift. The FTSE 100 index closed up 0.6 per cent, at 6,796.45 points, lagging a 1.5 per cent rise for the Euro STOXX 50, with peripheral Eurozone markets [...]
Unsung hero Thomas rides to the rescue to preserve Froome’s lead July 16, 2015 BRITAIN’S Chris Froome paid tribute to colleague Geraint Thomas after the unsung Welshman fought off repeated threats to the Team Sky star’s Tour de France advantage yesterday. Froome came under attack from yellow jersey rivals Nairo Quintana, Alberto Contador and Vincenzo Nibali on a taxing 16km climb in the Pyrenees on stage 12, but Thomas [...]
Ofcom communciations review: What next for BT, Openreach, Sky and the telecoms market? July 16, 2015 While Ofcom’s latest move is no doubt being celebrated as a win by BT’s more than vocal rivals, it’s by no means a foregone conclusion that BT is heading for a breakup. Last time Ofcom reviewed competition, BT was forced to create Openreach in order to give access to its broadband network to rivals, something Ofcom [...]
BT share price dips as Ofcom considers spinning-off Openreach July 16, 2015 It's been months in the offing and the cause of various, vociferous complaints – but now communications watchdog Ofcom has finally come out with it: it's considering breaking up BT. In an outline of a review this morning the regulator said separating BT from its Openreach network "could deliver competition or wider benefits for end [...]
Froome retains Tour advantage July 15, 2015 BRITAIN’S Chris Froome maintained his grip on the Tour de France overall lead as Poland’s Rafal Majka mustered a breakaway victory in the Pyrenees on stage 11 yesterday. Team Sky’s Froome, bidding for his second yellow jersey, crossed the finish line alongside most of his rivals, and extended his lead over faltering champion Vincenzo Nibali [...]
Premier League pre-season fixtures list: Kick-off times and TV coverage as Arsenal head to Singapore and Manchester United go to the USA July 15, 2015 Arsenal Arsenal are "competing" for "trophies" on multiple fronts this summer. The Gunners are currently sweating it out in Singapore for the Asia Cup and will head back home later this month for the annual Emirates Cup. [infographic id="223"] Luckily for Arsenal fans, all of their pre-season fixtures are being televised on Sky Sports and [...]
Sky shines but rates warning knocks back UK’s housebuilders – London Report July 14, 2015 BRITAIN’S top share index closed higher yesterday, with broadcaster Sky climbing after Deutsche Bank upgraded the shares and energy stocks rising as crude oil rose. The FTSE 100 index closed 0.2 per cent higher at 6,753.75 points, extending a one per cent rise on Monday when markets welcomed a Greek debt deal. Shares in Sky [...]
Restaurant review: Les Deux Salons is a reassuringly old-school restaurant July 14, 2015 You wait all year to review a French restaurant and then two come along at once. Last week Les Gourmets des Ternes, with its no-nonsense, unfaffy cooking, reminded me of a time before the gastronomic landscape was dominated by “sharing concepts” and pop-ups and street food and cocktails with bits of bacon in them. Les [...]