Lloyds Bank announces 56 branch closures this year January 29, 2020 Lloyds Banking Group has announced today that it will close 56 branches across the UK. The bank will close 31 Lloyds, 10 Halifax and 15 Bank of Scotland branches between April and October of this year. The financial services union Accord said in a statement: “We fully appreciate that the demand for high street branch [...]
Guardian goes green as it bans advertising from fossil fuel firms January 29, 2020 The Guardian will no longer accept advertising from oil and gas companies as the media group looks to cut its links with fossil fuel firms. The move, announced today, will apply across the publisher’s websites and apps, as well as in print copies of the Guardian, Observer and Guardian Weekly. “Our decision is based on [...]
With 100 days to go, can Sadiq Khan lose the 2020 London mayoral election? January 28, 2020 Even Sadiq Khan’s biggest critics would acknowledge his skill in working a crowd. The mayor of London glides from person to person, selfie to selfie, handshake to handshake. At a time when politicians are not exactly enjoying public favour, he seems to have plenty of Londoners firmly on his side. The response toward Khan by [...]
City Moves for 27 January – Who’s switching jobs at CMS, the FCA and Shoosmiths? January 27, 2020 Today’s City Moves includes CMS, the FCA and Shoosmiths CMS Global law firm CMS has announced the re-election of Penelope Warne as senior partner of CMS’s UK arm following a vote by the firm’s partnership. This will be Penelope’s second term, effective for four years from 1 May 2020. Penelope became the firm’s first woman [...]
Vodafone ranked ‘worst’ UK mobile and broadband provider January 24, 2020 Vodafone is the UK’s most complained about provider for broadband, landline and mobile, according to regulator Ofcom. The firm topped the broadband complaint charts for the second quarter in a row, between July and September last year. The Ofcom report said thousands of customers had complained to them regarding the supplier’s poor customer service, faulty [...]
Not as easy as 1,2,3: Seven accounting errors that rocked FTSE firms January 22, 2020 Ted Baker today experienced the dubious honour of joining a list of FTSE firms that have been shaken by accounting errors in the past year. The fashion retailer revealed an accounting error was more than twice as bad as it previously thought, knocking shares down seven per cent. But it is by no means the [...]
John Manzoni to step down as chief of the civil service January 22, 2020 The chief executive of the civil service, Sir John Manzoni, is stepping down from his role ahead of looming Whitehall reforms. A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “As has been planned for some time, Sir John Manzoni will step down from his post at some point this year.” Sky News first reported that Manzoni told senior colleagues of [...]
Pets at Home groomed for 2020 glory after record Christmas January 22, 2020 Pets at Home is making progress in its bid to be top dog in the UK pet market, announcing a 12th consecutive quarter of growth in this morning’s trading update. The grooming company, which has said that it wants to generate 50 per cent of its revenue through services, saw group revenue grow 7.9 per [...]
BP’s finance chief steps down after 34 years at oil giant January 21, 2020 After 34 years at the company, BP’s chief financial officer Brian Gilvary today announced his retirement from the oil major. Gilvary, who has been in his post for eight years, will be succeeded by Murray Auchincloss, who currently holds the same job in BP’s upstream division. Auchinloss will join the board on 1 July and [...]
Joules store closures hurt half-year profit after full-year warning January 21, 2020 Joules revealed a dramatic plunge in profit to just £1.7m today as it took a £6.7m hit to close stores and relocate its head office in the six months to the end of November. The figures Joules booked an 82 per cent drop in profit before tax from £9.3m this time last year to just [...]