Brexit: UK ‘will not back down’ on fisheries policy October 28, 2020 The UK will not back down on its demands to the EU over fisheries in Brexit trade talks, Michael Gove has said, as the two sides hold crunch talks today in the hopes of hammering out a last-minute trade deal. Responding to concerns set out by Jeremy Miles, the Welsh minister for European transition, Gove [...]
Management consultancies cash in £180m for Brexit planning October 28, 2020 Management consultancies have been awarded more than £180m to deliver Brexit, as the government faces mounting criticism for handing out taxpayer cash to private firms during the pandemic. Documents released yesterday showed the government has signed six Brexit contracts each worth £30m with KPMG, McKinsey, Bain, Deloitte, Accenture and PwC. Ministers said the £180m sum [...]
John Lewis to convert almost half of Oxford Street store into offices October 28, 2020 John Lewis has been given the green light to convert almost half of its flagship Oxford Street department store into office space amid turmoil for the UK’s retail sector. Westminster City Council last night granted the high street store conditional planning permission to transform three to eight floors into dual-use space. The local authority voted [...]
Deutsche Bank swings to surprise profit in third quarter October 28, 2020 Deutsche Bank reported a surprise profit for the third quarter this morning despite its ongoing restructuring and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The lender posted a profit of €309m as its net revenues grew 13 per cent year-on-year to €5.9bn during the quarter. It saw profit attributable to shareholders rise to €182m, compared with [...]
Microsoft beats revenue forecasts on cloud computing growth October 27, 2020 Microsoft posted a rise in revenue for the first quarter as the ongoing shift to home working helped drive up demand for its cloud computing services. Microsoft reported revenue of $37.2bn (£28.5bn) for the three months to the end of September, up 12 per cent on the same period last year and ahead of analysts’ [...]
HSBC to overhaul business model as ultra-low interest rates hit profit October 27, 2020 HSBC is planning a coronavirus-induced overhaul of its business model, seeking to shift its main source of income from interest rate to fee-based businesses. Europe’s biggest lender will also accelerate a sweeping cost-cutting programme, despite reporting better-than-expected results for the third quarter. Read more: HSBC ‘to cut 300 jobs’ in overhaul of UK commercial banking [...]
Post Office to axe 600 cash machines October 26, 2020 The Post Office will cut 600 of its free to use cash machines after a decision to take the assets in-house. Over the next four years, the Post Office will invest £16m into 1,400 ATMs across its estate. At the moment, there are 2,000 cash machines at its branches, but these are owned and operated [...]
Shell mulls former BHP chief as new chairman October 25, 2020 Former BHP Billiton boss Sir Andrew Mackenzie is in pole position to become the next chairman of Shell, reports emerged today. Mackenzie joined the Shell board this month as a non-executive director but is expected to move into the chair soon to be vacated by Charles Holliday. The Sunday Telegraph first reported the news. The [...]
Anti-lockdown protest: Thousands march in central London October 24, 2020 Thousands of protesters are marching in central London this afternoon over coronavirus lockdown restrictions. The anti-lockdown protest will be the fourth to take place in the capital since the start of the pandemic. London has recently moved into Tier 2 restrictions, which bans people from socialising indoors with people they do not live with. Photos [...]
MPs ‘seriously concerned’ that British businesses are not ready for Brexit October 23, 2020 The Treasury Committee has written to chancellor Rishi Sunak to express “serious concerns” that an eleventh-hour trade deal with the EU would not give businesses enough time to prepare for Brexit. The select committee said it was left with a “significant number of outstanding questions and issues”, following an evidence session around the UK’s preparedness [...]