Should libertarians fear digital ID cards? December 11, 2024 The government is introducing digital IDs that will enable young people to prove their age when buying a pint, but is it worth giving up your privacy to the state to make you life a little easier? Asks James Price In my favourite movie, 2007’s Hot Fuzz, the village pub allows the underaged children of [...]
Naked Wines toasts progress as losses are slashed December 10, 2024 The boss of Naked Wines has said the brand is “in a better position, both financially and strategically” after slashing its losses during the first half of its financial year. The Norwich-headquartered company has reported a pre-tax loss of £5.6m for the six months to 30 September, 2024, down from the £9.7m loss it posted [...]
Post Office predicts record-high £1bn in cash withdrawals ahead of Christmas December 10, 2024 The Post Office is predicting a record-high number of personal cash withdrawals this month, reaching upwards of £1bn. The prediction exceeds last year’s record-breaking numbers during the festive shopping season, with December 2023 seeing a total of £930m in cash withdrawals. A total of £916m in personal cash was withdrawn in November, the latest figures [...]
Just how blue is the sky for Bluesky? December 9, 2024 Bluesky is pitching itself as an alternative to the social media behemoths, but the history of the internet is littered with notable failures, says Paul Armstrong Bluesky has drawn sharp attention, pitching itself as the anti-social media — a decentralised network that hands control back to its +25m users including news organizations, politicians, celebrities and [...]
The markets in 2025 December 9, 2024 Market forces are likely to continue to change into next year and dealmakers need to be ready, says Merlin Piscitelli With elevated wage costs and tax changes, business sentiment has sunk to an all-time low, following the Autumn Budget. But while confidence in growth under a Labour government appears weak, one industry that is booming is mergers [...]
Revolut adds ex-Lord Mayor and KPMG veteran to UK board ahead of bank launch December 6, 2024 Revolut has appointed a former Lord Mayor of London and Big Four veteran to its UK board as the fintech giant prepares to launch as a fully-fledged bank in its home market. The London-based banking company added Fiona Fry and Peter Estlin as non-executive directors while it works through the mobilisation period for its UK [...]
Bank of London shakes up UK board in investor-led recovery plan December 5, 2024 The Bank of London has appointed four new directors to its UK bank board and replaced its chair as the troubled fintech ‘unicorn’ looks to recover from a string of setbacks in recent months. The lossmaking start-up, which has faced heavy scrutiny over its governance and finances, said on Thursday that Metro Bank director Catherine [...]
FIA wants key ethics and audit committee rules changes December 3, 2024 The governing body of Formula 1 the FIA wants to change a number of rules to limit how its leadership can be held to account after a number of complaints against the president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. Ben Sulayem has been criticised by drivers over a number of issues and has faced questions over his private [...]
Gymshark: Finance chief abruptly leaves apparel giant December 3, 2024 The chief financial officer of Gymshark has abruptly departed the business after two years in post. Mat Dunn joined the Solihull-headquartered company in December 2022, having been hired from Asos where he was chief operating officer and chief financial officer. He had previously worked as CFO at Robinsons squash maker Britvic and at South African [...]
Avanti West Coast: Ticket sales pass £1bn despite operating troubles December 3, 2024 Turnover at Avanti West Coast jumped past £1bn last year, even as it was named as one of the least reliable rail operators in Britain, it has been revealed. The train operator, which is jointly owned by Firstgroup and Italian rail firm, Trenitalia, has posted a turnover of £1.01bn for the 12 months to 31 [...]