Singled out: This year’s billionaire Brits April 7, 2021 Forbes released its highly anticipated billionaire list yesterday morning which has left regular folks pinching purse strings in hopes to add another zero to their bank accounts. The UK’s home-grown billionaires did not make it into the lucrative top 10, which was dominated by tech big dogs: Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos, Tesla and SpaceX’s Elon [...]
City Moves: Who’s switching jobs in the Square Mile this week? April 7, 2021 Snakes and Ladders provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every Wednesday afternoon. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. Tharsus adds former CEO of Dyson to its board Robotics company Tharsus has appointed former Dyson CEO to its board as a non-executive director this week. Martin McCourt, whose career spans four decades, [...]
Warehouse developments to double this year as retailers respond to online shopping demand April 6, 2021 Warehouse space developments have boomed this year due to the rise of online shopping during the coronavirus pandemic, with the amount of sites set to complete in 2021 doubling compared to last year. The latest research showed that 40m sq ft of warehouse space developments are scheduled for completion this year, compared to the 20m [...]
MPs launch inquiry into power of social media influencers March 26, 2021 MPs have launched an inquiry into the power of influencers amid concerns about a lack of regulation over how social media stars promote products online. Influencers have been gaining prominence in recent years thanks to the continued growth of social media use and the popularity of hit reality shows such as Love Island. But they [...]
Ministers ‘missed the boat’ over BBC licence fee reform, MPs warn March 25, 2021 The government has no choice but to maintain the BBC’s licence fee funding model for the foreseeable future due to its failure to find an alternative, MPs have warned. In an in-depth report published today, the DCMS committee said that while the £157.50 annual charge has a “limited shelf life” in the modern media landscape, [...]
UK housing transactions soar in ‘sprint finish’ before stamp duty holiday extension March 23, 2021 UK housing transactions soared last month in a “sprint finish” to get deals completed before the initial stamp duty holiday deadline. Residential transactions in the UK were 45.5 per cent higher than February last year and 23 per cent up on January’s levels at 147,050, according to the latest HM Revenue and Customs data. The [...]
Keeping the algorithms in check March 22, 2021 Researchers are looking into the best ways to police algorithms to ensure AI doesn't do financial harm.
B&Q owner Kingfisher toasts click & collect success as sales surge March 22, 2021 Kingfisher, the owner of B&Q and Screwfix, this morning announced that sales and profit surged last year, boosted by its click and collect offer, as consumers began DIY projects during lockdown. Sales were up 7.2 per cent to £12.3bn and profit after tax was £592m, up from £8m in the previous year. Adjusted post-tax profit [...]
Listed law firm Knights buys 60-year-old Surrey firm March 22, 2021 UK law firm Knights will acquire Surrey-based Mundays for £5.3m in a move that will increase the group’s presence in the South East. Knights will pay £3.93m up front for the smaller law firm, followed by cash payments worth £1.375m to be paid over two years. Knights CEO David Beech said: “The acquisition of Mundays [...]
Screenshot: Who’s invited to the UK’s summer of fun? March 19, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: No 10’s power vacuum **Who’s invited to the UK’s summer of fun? **BT gets a broadband boost Media Moment of the Week: No 10’s power vacuum There are two main things to remember when unveiling your grand £2.6m briefing room to the world: make sure it doesn’t look [...]