Exclusive: London is the Silicon Valley of Europe, but ‘can not afford to sit on its tech laurels’ May 30, 2022 Forbes heralded London recently as the Silicon Valley of Europe as the capital proved to be “Brexit-proof” with around 18,500 new startups registering in 2021 alone. Although hybrid working has been adopted by many companies, London remains a place where giants such as Google, with its King’s Cross ‘landscraper’, nestle with newer companies such as fintech boomer Revolut, [...]
Exclusive: Staggering £130bn worth of homes left empty in London alone with record 87,731 vacant properties May 30, 2022 It has emerged that the value of vacant homes in London equates to over £130bn. London has a total of 87,731 vacant homes, making it the top city in the UK for the prevalence of empty houses. With house prices averaging £1.49m in the capital, the cost of vacant homes is approximately £130.8bn. A recent study [...]
Competition watchdog warns of pastry price rises amid Jus-Rol and Cérélia merger May 30, 2022 The competition watchdog has raised concerns that a merger between two bake-at-home dough producers could lead to higher prices of pastries. The Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) said it was concerned about a merger between Jus-Rol and Cérélia, with fears prices would rise while the quality of products could suffer. After the deal, Paris-based Cérélia [...]
Sainsbury’s to pump £500m into offsetting rising costs as CEO says ‘we have to make it easy’ May 30, 2022 Sainsbury’s boss said this morning the supermarket giant plans to pump fresh funds into offsetting rising costs over the rest of the year as shoppers become “increasingly concerned” about their finances. The UK’s second largest supermarket chain said it will invest more than £500m into lower pricing by March 2023 as part of a long-term [...]
Rapid rise of ‘advance fee’ loan scams: Cases rise by 90 per cent in just 12 months May 30, 2022 So-called ‘advance fee’ loan scams have soared by more than 90 per cent this year, according to new data shared with City A.M. this morning. The rising number of cases comes as Lloyds Bank warned that, on average, the amount stolen from victims is around £231. “Advance fee” loan scams take place when victims applying [...]
The Platinum Jubilee will be a moment to reflect on what makes us stronger together May 30, 2022 The eyes of the world will be on London this week as we prepare for the Platinum Jubilee – a truly historic occasion where the country will come together to celebrate Her Majesty’s extraordinary seventy years of service. Here in the City, a national service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral and many other festivities [...]
NIESR top economist: Bank of England has tools to fight inflation May 30, 2022 The UK economy is in a bit of a bind. Households are being squeezed by historic rises in their living costs, while businesses’ margins are thinning due to expenses soaring. A much higher than expected inflation crunch – primarily the result of Russia’s unforeseen invasion of Ukraine – is forecast to trigger a spending pull [...]
Shell warns of investment ‘uncertainty’ amid projections of record North Sea tax revenues May 29, 2022 Shell has toughened its stance on the government's announced levy on North Sea oil and gas operators, warning the new tax will create "uncertainty."
B&M looking to ease market jitters over new leadership May 29, 2022 Press Association INVESTORS will be looking for any forward-looking forecasts that they hope can lift B&M’s ailing shares as it reports its full-year results tomorrow.The recently announced departure of the company’s long-term chief executive and his family’s reduction of their shares in the firm have weighed on London-listed shares. It has meant that B&M, which [...]
Shell: ‘We understand worry for millions – but windfall tax creates uncertainty’ May 27, 2022 Shell has slammed the government’s windfall tax. It said while it “understands the worry for millions” about the cost of living crisis, the new tax creates “uncertainty” about investment in the UK energy sector. This follows Chancellor Rishi Sunak announcing a so-called Energy Profits Levy, a 25 per cent surcharge on North Sea oil and [...]