UK automotive recovery threatened by soaring costs September 29, 2022 Despite reporting the fourth consecutive month of growth, the UK’s automotive recovery is threatened by increasing costs. Figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealed that 49,901 units were built in August – 34 per cent up year-on-year but 45.9 per cent down on pre-pandemic levels. Overall output remains 13.3 [...]
EV switch under threat from uneven roll out and rising energy prices September 27, 2022 Over the last few years, an increasing number of Brits have joined the green car revolution and switched to electric vehicles (EVs). There are currently over 900,000 electric cars in the UK – up from less than 4,000 a decade ago, according to data from the RAC. While this only represents 4.5 per cent of [...]
Melrose to break up Britain’s oldest engineering firm via GKN automotive spin-off September 8, 2022 Melrose Industries confirmed this a.m. plans to spin off the GKN automotive business in a move that will see Britain’s oldest engineering firm broken up. Turnaround specialist Melrose, which bought GKN in a controversial £8bn takeover in 2018, said it will demerge GKN’s automotive and the smaller powder metallurgy divisions from its aerospace arm into [...]
Axiom founder sentenced to 14 years in prison over £100m ‘no win, no fee’ investment fraud August 11, 2022 The founder of a Cayman Islands headquartered fund, that bankrolled ‘no win, no fee’ lawsuits, has been jailed for 14 years for using millions in investors cash to finance his own extravagant spending habits. Axiom Legal Financing Fund founder Timothy Schools was today sentenced to 14 years in prison at a hearing at Southwark Crown [...]
Cayman Islands fund manager convicted over role in £100m ‘no win, no fee’ investment fraud August 10, 2022 The founder of a Cayman Islands investment fund, that bankrolled ‘no win, no fee’ lawsuits, has been convicted of using a complex network of overseas trust to defraud investors of millions. Timothy Schools, investment manager at the Cayman Islands headquartered Axiom Legal Financing Fund, used investors cash to fund his luxury lifestyle, that saw [...]
The best electric cars to buy in 2022 July 19, 2022 We name the best electric cars you can buy this year, including the Ford Mustang Mach-e, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Tesla Model 3.
Week ahead: More inflation woe to pile pressure on Bank of England to act July 17, 2022 Inflation bumped higher last month, reinforcing pressure on the Bank of England to motor through rate hikes, according to City analysts. London’s premier FTSE 100 index notched a poor performance last week, losing a shade over 0.5 per cent to finish at 7,159.01 points. The domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with [...]
OBR warns MPs against loose fiscal policy July 14, 2022 As the Tory leadership contest saw contenders set out their plans for taxes and government spending, officials from the UK’s fiscal watchdog yesterday repeated warnings about the trajectory of the UK’s public finances. In a Treasury Select Committee hearing yesterday, Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility Richard Hughes said that the UK’s debt is [...]
New prime minister has to grapple with ‘unsustainable’ UK indebtedness, fiscal watchdog warns July 7, 2022 Britain is on “an unsustainable path” to high indebtedness unless action is taken to strengthen the public finances, the country’s fiscal watchdog warned today. A combination of higher health spending to deal with an ageing society, the loss of motoring taxes due to the transition to net zero and greater geo-political risks could swell the [...]
Bank of England will sign off steeper rate hike if inflation persists, chief economist warns July 6, 2022 The Bank of England will ramp up the pace of its tightening cycle if inflation continues to motor ahead, its chief wonk said today. Speaking at the London and Qatar centre for global banking and finance conference at Kings College, Huw Pill, chief economist at the Bank, said its latest forward guidance reflects “my willingness [...]