Robert Jenrick ducks questioning on his role in ‘unlawful’ planning decision June 11, 2020 Housing and communities secretary Robert Jenrick has been criticised for refusing to answer questions from MPs about his part in unlwafully granting planning permission to a £1bn property development. Jenrick instead sent his deputy Chris Pincher to face parliamentary scrutiny about the planning approval, drawing claims from Labour that he was “hiding from scrutiny”. Jenrick [...]
What can the Covid-19 crisis teach us about tackling climate change? June 11, 2020 We already know how devastating climate change could be for the planet, so let’s ensure we learn the lessons from the current crisis. Covid-19 caught most of the world’s institutions and governments by surprise, leading to a global health and economic crisis unprecedented in modern times. Few people would disagree with the notion that most [...]
UK house prices gauge hits 10-year low – but signs of confidence ahead June 11, 2020 A gauge of UK house prices hit its lowest level in a decade in May, it emerged today, but signalled confidence ahead as the country emerges from months of lockdown. The figures A survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) released today showed that 32 per cent of estate agents reported a plunge [...]
EXCLUSIVE: Dan Simerman talks Covid-19, Digital Assets and IOTA June 9, 2020 Dan Simerman is an investor and technical product manager well versed in consumer psychology, digital assets and open source software development. Dan has a history of building software for Fortune 50 financial institutions, multinational media companies and strategic consulting firms. As Head of Financial Relations at the IOTA Foundation, Dan’s goal is to support technology [...]
Hospitality industry asks government for financial support to overcome rent deadlock June 9, 2020 The hospitality industry has warned there will be significant job losses and business failures unless the government provides financial support to overcome the rent stand-off between landlords and tenants. Trade body UK Hospitality has said that a continued “stalemate” between landlords and tenants on the matter of unpaid rent needs to be resolved or reopening [...]
Segro to raise £650m through private share placement to pursue ‘opportunities’ June 9, 2020 Property investment firm Segro has announced it will raise £650m through a private share placement to pursue “opportunities” across the UK and Europe. In a statement released after markets closed, Segro said the new equity would allow it to “take advantage of additional investment opportunities across the UK and Continental Europe through further, mostly pre-let, [...]
Is the government brave enough to let markets fix the social care crisis? June 9, 2020 We have all seen, with the direst of consequences, the deficiencies of the current social care system. As Covid-19 has raged through the UK, tens of thousands have died in under-resourced, under-invested, and ill-designed care homes. With the focus in those early weeks on protecting the NHS at all costs, central planners sent potentially infectious [...]
Retail landlord Intu puts KPMG on standby to act as administrator June 7, 2020 Embattled retail landlord Intu Properties has reportedly lined up KPMG to handle its insolvency process ahead of a testing fortnight. Intu has placed the Big Four accountancy firm on standby in the event that lenders refuse to grant a standstill on its debt obligations, according to Sky News. The landlord, which owns Manchester’s Trafford Centre, [...]
UK house prices drop for third month running as coronavirus bites June 5, 2020 UK house prices fell for the third month in a row in May as coronavirus continued to plague the property market, according to a closely watched gauge. However, the drop slowed compared to April. Prices fell 0.2 per cent month on month in May, the Halifax house price index showed. This compared with a 0.6 [...]
Green shoots: Four charts that suggest the worst is over for the UK economy June 4, 2020 The UK economy suffered its worst month in living memory in April, but there are tentative signs that things began improving in May as coronavirus restrictions were gradually lifted. “The government’s plans for a progressive opening up of non-essential stores in June suggest that the low point for the economy is behind us,” said Ruth [...]