Coming or going? Aviva the latest to cut office space as rival bosses say ‘remote working can’t last’ March 4, 2021 Aviva the latest to cut office space as rival bosses say 'remote working can't last'
Wall Street slips despite better than expected US jobs data March 4, 2021 US stocks opened lower on Thursday as Wall Street reckoned with yesterday’s technology-led selloff, despite new data showing an improved US employment market. The tech-heavy Nasdaq slid 2.4 per cent this afternoon, with carpet company Dixie Group pulling the index down with a 48 per cent drop. Tesla shares extended yesterday’s loss of more than [...]
Budget reactions: Optimism and relief to Sunak’s plans March 4, 2021 Following Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcement yesterday, of a raft of new support measures alongside plans to shore up Britain’s finances in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the details of this year’s Budget gradually become clear to SMEs, entrepreneurs, startups and others in London and across the country. Sunak set out extensions to the furlough [...]
Co-op Group under pressure to repay £80m of government funding March 4, 2021 The Co-op board will reportedly meet next week to discuss handing back millions in government cash it was handed during the pandemic. The move would follow in the footsteps of leading supermarkets who returned business rates relief at the end of last year and have pledged to forgo the break announced in the Budget. The [...]
M&S Bank to shut 29 branches as it moves services online March 4, 2021 M&S Bank will close 29 in-store branches from this summer after shifting services to online, as the pandemic has made the consumer preference of online banking more apparent. The bank will continue to offer general insurance, savings and loans online and by phone, but will now offer a new card-less payment option. M&S Bank CEO [...]
Aviva reports record group protection sales as it sells off Italian business March 4, 2021 Insurance giant Aviva has reported operating profit remained stable even in the face of the pandemic amid a sale of its Italian and French division. The insurer reported operating profit of £3.16bn while its core business cash remittances rose marginally to £1.4bn. The FTSE 100 company said it had delivered record sales in group protection [...]
Budget 2021: Which expected policies were not announced? March 3, 2021 Rishi Sunak’s Budget was a tale of two halves, with the chancellor spending big over the next two years before implementing a series of tax rises in the years after. Many of the policies announced were already leaked days or weeks in advance, with the corporation tax rise to 25 per cent for the UK’s [...]
Nightclubs blast ‘ridiculous’ Budget amid summer festival warning March 3, 2021 UK nightclubs have hit back at a “ridiculous” lack of support for the sector in today’s Budget amid warnings that time is running out to save this summer’s music festivals. The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) said chancellor Rishi Sunak had failed to recognise the specific challenges faced by clubs, bars and casinos, many of [...]
Budget 2021: As it happened March 3, 2021 Live updates and links to all our coverage, reactions and analyses as the Chancellor of the Exchequer delivers the government’s Budget later today – at 12.30pm. Please also visit our dedicated Budget 2021 Hub. Wrap-up of the main Budget announcements Here’s a wrap-up of the main announcements made by the chancellor in his spring Budget: [...]
Budget 2021: Thames Estuary one of eight new freeports March 3, 2021 The Chancellor has today used the Budget to announce the locations of England’s eight new “freeports”, including one on the Thames Estuary. The new economic zones, which offer tax advantages and customs relief to businesses, will provide an “unprecedented economic boost across the UK”, Rishi Sunak said. In addition to the Thames port, the other [...]