Don’t bank on an Uber moment… yet June 10, 2016 It’s an interesting time to be working with most of the world’s largest banks. If economic instability, skills gaps and a tsunami of regulation weren’t enough, they now face stern warnings from respected ex-colleagues about the future of the industry. Step forward Anthony Jenkins, the ex-Barclays banker who reiterated last week that banks are facing their ‘Uber moment’. That’s [...]
Welcome to the future: You can now order takeaway using your TV June 10, 2016 Smart TVs are about to get a little smarter thanks to a new invention being cooked up by Just Eat. The company is planning to launch an app enabling people to order food through their television. The app will sync with any mobile phone or iPad connected on the same Wi-Fi network, enabling friends in the [...]
Is fintech the new black? Lower trust in disruptors gives banks reason to cheer June 10, 2016 Digital innovation – and more specifically the impact of fintech – is currently the most intensely debated topic in the financial services sector. Two years ago hardly anyone outside the industry had heard of fintech. Now it’s the hottest investment class globally for VCs. PwC recently produced a report claiming that over 20 per cent [...]
Sadiq Khan’s pledge to crack down on Uber smacks of the worst of crony capitalism June 10, 2016 In the fight to succeed Boris Johnson as mayor of London, one thing that did not attract much attention was that both candidates attacked the ride-sharing app Uber. Sadiq Khan did so first, threatening a crack-down on the service in response to a black cab driver who called into a radio show, and Zac Goldsmith, no profile [...]
Uber slapped with fine by French courts over illegal service June 9, 2016 Uber has been slapped with a fine by French authorities over its UberPop service, which the country's government deems illegal. The court in Paris fined the billion dollar startup €800,000 (£626,000), only half of which is payable, but avoided a payment of as much as €1.5m Read more: Porsche on-demand? VW boss reveals Gett plans Two Uber France [...]
Change to Addison Lee driver contracts boosts earnings June 8, 2016 A new contract for Addison Lee drivers has resulted in a seven per cent boost to earnings. The new deal has been road tested by a small number of the private car hire company’s drivers, who have reported an increase in the amount they are taking home compared with this time last year. The deal [...]
Uber reveals London ride-sharing figures for UberPool June 7, 2016 Uber's ride-sharing service UberPool has hit a milestone in London, with more than a million people making journeys via the service in the six months since launch. The billion dollar startup which recently landed billions more in funding from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, claims more than 700,000 driving miles have been saved by UberPool in the capital since [...]
Steve Hilton interview: Cameron’s former advisor on supporting Brexit, decentralising government and why Boris shouldn’t take over as PM June 6, 2016 Steve Hilton was so unconventional during his time as Tory party spin doctor that when they came to parody him in The Thick of It, they had to tone him down. “He wears something I would never wear,” complained actor Vincent Franklin, “these ridiculous half-shorts, half-trousers.” Amid the charcoal suits of the Tory cabinet, Hilton [...]
Low fuel prices means it’s cheaper to run a car now than it was in 2013 June 6, 2016 One of a household's biggest bills is being held down by low oil prices. The average annual cost of running a car is around 22 per cent – or £622 – less than 2013, coming in at £2,197.42. The decline is due to the price of petrol at the pump, which makes up almost half of the costs of [...]
The European Union is “an engine for job destruction” say Brexit campaigners Boris Johnson and Michael Gove June 5, 2016 Former London mayor Boris Johnson and justice secretary Michael Gove have hit out at the European Union's effects on business, while accusing the government of misleading the public on the economy. In a 2,000 word letter to Prime Minister David Cameron, which is also signed by Labour's Gisela Stuart, the Leave campaigners played down business [...]