Sue Gray, civil servant who chaired inquiry into Boris Johnson ‘partygate’, reportedly hired as Keir Starmer’s chief of staff March 2, 2023 Top civil servant Sue Gray who carried out the partygate inquiry has reportedly been hired as Keir Starmer’s new chief of staff. Gray has quit her Cabinet Office post, according to the PA news agency, and is reportedly set to take up the key role in Sir Keir’s operation. It comes as Labour tries to [...]
Hong Kong stock exchange operator to open London office March 2, 2023 Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) confirmed today that it will open an office in London in the first half of 2023. It said the new office will expand the group’s international reach and promote greater global connectivity. HKEX chief executive Nicolas Aguzin, said: “HKEX has strong ties with the financial community in London through [...]
Ukraine army could pull back from key eastern stronghold of Bakhmut amid relentless Kremlin offensive March 1, 2023 Ukraine’s military could pull back from the key eastern stronghold of Bakhmut, an adviser to the Ukrainian president said on Wednesday, amid a relentless Russian offensive. “Our military is obviously going to weigh all of the options. So far, they’ve held the city, but if need be, they will strategically pull back,” Alexander Rodnyansky, an [...]
Ocado not for you: Three reasons why online grocer’s results may not be as bad as they seem February 28, 2023 Ocado’s crown as the online food retailer which keeps the middle classes stocked in organic essentials has been threatening to slip for a while now. As one of the companies which sits at the ‘higher-end’ of the online supermarket price point the rising cost of living, not to mention higher mortgage interest rates, was expected [...]
Brexit deal: Sunak says Northern Ireland in ‘unbelievably special position’ with access to both UK AND EU markets February 28, 2023 Rishi Sunak insisted that his new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland addressed the concerns of unionists despite the “small and limited” role for European Union law and its court – while giving Belfast an “unbelievably special position”. The Prime Minister, who was visiting Northern Ireland to sell the deal secured with the European Union, said [...]
Real estate veteran announced as new chair of London-focused Workspace February 28, 2023 An industry veteran and former Schroders real estate chief has been unveiled as the chair of flexible office company Workspace. Stephen Hubbard will step down from his position in July after three years in post, with Duncan Owen taking the helm of the flexible working space group. Hubbard joined the real estate investment trust’s board [...]
Ocado blames ‘macro economic and political headwinds’ for a drop in sales and widening losses of £500m February 28, 2023 Online grocer Ocado has reported a 3.8 per cent fall in sales, claiming its business model has been “tested” in 2022. In its results for the full year year, Ocado posted retail revenues of £2.20bn, down from £2.28bn the previous year. The firm also posted a harrowing loss before tax of £501m for 2022 up [...]
Brexit deal done: Rishi Sunak signs breakthrough agreement with EU over Northern Ireland protocol February 27, 2023 Rishi Sunak has signed a breakthrough deal with the European Union over post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland and will now seek to win the backing of unionists and Tory Eurosceptics. The Prime Minister and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen finalised the long-awaited agreement to ease the trading issues created by the Northern Ireland [...]
Five New Ways We’re Doing Hybrid Work February 27, 2023 We’ve come a long way since March 2020. Most workers will easily recall the day they were told to pack up their laptops and work from home for the foreseeable future. The Covid-19 pandemic revealed many companies were not prepared for remote working, and led to a whirlwind of uncertainty. The workforce adapted quickly. In [...]
HSBC doubles down on homeworking as Lloyd’s of London pushes for return to City HQ February 26, 2023 HSBC’s and Lloyd’s rival plans for the futures of their London headquarters have revealed a growing split in attitudes towards the long-term prospects of working from home. Lloyd’s of London is reportedly in talks to extend the lease on its iconic City headquarters as it works to bring staff back into the office in resisting [...]