Mind the expectation gap: Sadiq Khan is a disappointment to London May 29, 2019 When Sadiq Khan was elected as London mayor just over three years ago, it was off the back of some big promises. The new mayor reassured us that he was going to make our city a “safe and secure place”. He pledged that we wouldn’t pay a penny more to travel around the capital, although this [...]
Pret a Manger has swallowed up Eat – but how will it taste? May 29, 2019 High street lunchtime staple Pret a Manger recently announced it will be purchasing Eat, one of its main competitors. Pret also announced plans to convert many of Eat’s existing shops into Pret’s vegetarian spin off, Veggie Pret, in response to growing consumer demand for vegetarian and vegan options. Three per cent of the population currently [...]
In commercial television, image is everything May 28, 2019 It was Andre Agassi who brought us the phrase “Image is everything”. He was chasing the corporate dollar of camera giant Canon when he uttered the immortal words, which he soon found being shouted back to him on the tennis court. Three words, three commonplace words, but, strung together at that moment in the late 1980s [...]
Live TV still the top choice for Brits despite rise of on-demand viewing May 28, 2019 Broadcast live TV is still the go-to option for Brits when deciding what to watch, despite the surge in popularity of on-demand services, a new survey has revealed. More than two-fifths of the UK population still always turn to live TV in the first instance, making traditional broadcasters the most popular choice, according to research [...]
Airtel Africa planning to raise $1bn in London listing May 28, 2019 Africa’s second-largest mobile operator Airtel Africa today said it is considering a London listing to cut its debt. The telecoms group, which is owned by Bharti Airtel of India, could raise up to $1bn (£790m), Reuters reported, in a float that could value the business at around $5bn. The company said today that it was targeting [...]
Housing minister Kit Malthouse joins Tory leadership race, becoming 10th MP to put name forward May 27, 2019 Housing minister Kit Malthouse has become the 10th MP to enter the race to replace Theresa May as the country’s prime minister. A Leave campaigner, Malthouse has gained plaudits amongst Tory backbenchers since becoming MP for Hampshire in 2015, in particular for penning the so-called Malthouse Compromise plan to break the parliamentary deadlock on Brexit. [...]
Top UK restaurants fall to £82m loss as casual dining sector feels the heat May 27, 2019 The UK’s top restaurant chains fell to a loss of £82m in the last year as they struggle to stay afloat in the increasingly competitive casual dining sector. The top 100 restaurant groups fell to the hefty loss in the year to the end of March, compared to a pre-tax profit of £102m the previous [...]
Liberal Democrats’ Vince Cable throws in the towel, triggering party leadership race May 24, 2019 Liberal Democrat head Vince Cable has followed the example of Prime Minister Theresa May and announced his resignation as party leader. The move triggers a leadership race in the party which formed a coalition alongside the Conservatives from 2010 to 2015, but has lost much of its support afterwards. Read more: Sir Vince Cable to [...]
Mothercare’s annual loss jumps to £87m, delayed annual results reveal May 24, 2019 Mothercare’s annual loss grew to £87.3m in the last financial year it said today in a delayed set of annual results. The struggling retailer was due to report its results yesterday, but pushed back its report to today because of the “complexity” of its finances, sending shares down 5.2 per cent. Sales fell 7.9 per cent to [...]
The next Northern Rock? Metro Bank has had a troubled week May 24, 2019 Could Metro Bank be the next Northern Rock? That’s not a question that any banker wants to hear, but in this case, some self-reflection seems necessary for the young bank. This last week has been nothing if not turbulent for Metro, the UK’s most shorted stock, with conspiracies circulating that it had fallen on hard [...]