Why your dream home may just be up in Scotland’s northern reaches August 26, 2010 THE number of holiday homes in the UK is on the rise, according to research by Knight Frank. After declining in 2008, the number of British second homes swelled 2.6 per cent last year and is set to rise another 2 per cent this year. So with demand once again on the up, buyers should [...]
Unions set Tube strike dates August 25, 2010 Transport unions RMT and the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) yesterday confirmed dates for a series of 24-hour strikes to be launched by 10,000 London Underground staff in what will bring severe disruption to London’s commuters. The unions said the first staff walk out will start at 5pm on 6 September, with similar action planned [...]
HEDGE FUND MAN GOES LONG ON BANGERS August 25, 2010 CELEBRITY endorsement works, at least if the celebrity involved is a glamorous sportsman like Usain Bolt, who yesterday announced the biggest deal ever, to help Puma flog its pumps and T-shirts. But can you really imagine Crispin Odey, the permanently pin-striped hedge fund guru, as a brand ambassador? Well, he is. The new branch of [...]
Jupiter gamble paying off for now August 24, 2010 FUND management group Jupiter defied the odds earlier this year when it pressed ahead with a stock market flotation despite concerns that it was an injudicious time to do so. First there were general worries about market volatility and by June more than 30 companies had already shelved plans to float, including London Eye owner [...]
Tube workers set to strike August 24, 2010 TUBE workers are set to go on strike on 7 September in the first of a series of monthly walkouts in protest at 800 proposed job cuts. The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union secretary Bob Crow and Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) leader Gerry Doherty are due to meet today to finalise the timetable [...]
Vedanta vows commitment to India despite government tussle over mine August 24, 2010 VEDANTA suffered a blow to its plans in India yesterday after the government there rejected its plans to mine bauxite in the east of the country. The London-listed miner is already facing regulatory issues over its $9.6bn (£6.2bn) bid for control of Cairn India, which would give billionaire Anil Agarwal’s group a slice of India’s [...]
Square Mile roadworks are a necessary evil August 22, 2010 LAST week, London First published a report entitled “Road Sense”, looking at how to best strike a balance between the costs and benefits of works taking place on the streets of London. As anyone who visits the City with any degree of regularity will be able to testify, streetworks (for, traditionally, there are no highways [...]
Stagecoach is on track as rail improves August 18, 2010 STAGECOACH yesterday reported a rise in sales at its British and US transport businesses, with its rail operations performing strongly. Stagecoach, operator of the South West Trains franchise in Britain and which last year failed in an attempt to buy rival National Express, said in a statement it had significant undrawn bank facilities. The company’s [...]
TfL signs up 44,000 to use Barclays Cycle Hire August 12, 2010 LONDON’S cycle hire scheme has been used for more than 100,000 journeys since its launch on 30 July, Transport for London (TfL) said yesterday. Around 44,000 people have signed up to the hire programme, and are between them making up to 14,000 journeys per day. Around 70 extra docking stations are under construction, bringing the [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS August 12, 2010 Deloitte The accountancy firm has appointed Zahir Bokhari to lead its UK banking and capital markets audit business. Bokhari brings over 20 years of experience to the role, having provided audit, assurance and advisory services to numerous listed clients in the retail banking, inter-dealer brokers and capital markets sectors in his previous capacity as senior [...]