Aon and Willis Towers Watson call off $30bn insurance mega-merger over monopoly concerns July 27, 2021 Insurance giant Aon and Willis Towers Watson have agreed to terminate their $30bn (£22.9bn) merger agreement in what would have created the world’s largest insurance broker, and have blamed U.S. regulators’ objections for unacceptable delays and uncertainty. Aon cited an “impasse” with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as the reason behind the decision to [...]
Lloyd’s insurance appoints Lord Sedwill to council as deputy chair July 26, 2021 Lloyd’s has today announced that Mark Sedwill will join Lloyd’s council and succeed as the new senior independent director and deputy chair of the insurance marketplace. Bruce Carnegie-Brown, chairman of Lloyd’s, said of the appointment: “As one of the most respected figures in modern British diplomacy, and a former head of the UK civil service, [...]
Admiral Taverns acquires NewRiver’s community pubs for £222m July 26, 2021 Retail and leisure property investor NewRiver is selling its Hawthorn Leisure community pub business to pub company Admiral Taverns for approximately £222.3m. Admiral boss Chris Jowsey said it was an “exciting” time for the pub brand, despite hospitality’s struggles during the Covid-19 pandemic. The portfolio comprises 674 leased, tenanted and operator-managed community pubs across England, [...]
The wellness tax: providing healthy meals and fitness classes for staff should be tax-free for employers July 25, 2021 Over the last 18 months, we’ve heard a lot about the impact of the pandemic on mental health, and with good reason. According to the Office for National Statistics, around 1 in 5 adults experience some form of depression in early 2021 – more than double the number before the pandemic. More than half of [...]
Number 10 and Treasury discuss suspending pensions triple lock July 25, 2021 Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak are in discussions over suspending the pensions triple lock as members of the cabinet raise their concern about a mooted National Insurance increase. The Treasury and Number 10 are inching closer to suspending the pensions triple lock this year as Covid-related statistical anomaly would mean pensioners would get an estimated [...]
Tory poll lead collapses amid tax hike revolt July 24, 2021 The Conservative Party’s lead in the polls has slumped to its lowest in more than six months as Prime Minister Boris Johnson braces for a revolt over tax rises. The Tory margin over Labour has fallen from 13 percentage points to just four, according to a Yougov survey conducted this week for the Times. The [...]
Beazley shares pop as insurer heads back to the black July 23, 2021 Shares in insurer Beazley popped this morning after the FTSE 250 firm said that it had swung back into profit in the first half. By midday, the firm’s stock was up 7.0 per cent at 386.60p, their highest levels in 10 months. For the period, it posted profit of $167.3m, up from a $13m loss [...]
How the Government’s Plan for Jobs can help July 23, 2021 The UK is now moving into the last stage of our exit out of lockdown – with many of the legal restrictions no longer in force. That’s good news – the result of a successful vaccine rollout and of our collective work to follow the rules to this point. There has, of course, been an [...]
Tokyo 2020: What Covid-19, no fans and public opposition mean for sponsors and the International Olympic Committee July 22, 2021 The 60,000 seats of Japan’s national stadium, built for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, are coloured in muted shades of green, brown, beige and grey. Architect Kengo Kuma chose those tones to fit his vision of the stadium, which he wanted to look as natural and organic as possible. Timber is the most visible material and [...]
Daily Mail owner posts revenue rise amid Rothermere takeover bid July 22, 2021 The owner of the Daily Mail has reported a sharp rise in revenue in its latest quarter as it gears up for a potential take-private bid by Lord Rothermere. Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) said its group revenue grew by a quarter in the three months to the end of June. This was driven [...]