Uber: What does the workers’ rights U-turn mean for the ride-hailing giant? March 17, 2021 Uber agreed yesterday to give its 70,000 UK drivers holiday pay and pensions following a landmark ruling in the Supreme Court. The court ruled that all UK drivers are employees of the taxi giant — rather than being self-employed — and are therefore eligible to receive holiday pay on a fortnightly basis. Susannah Streeter, senior [...]
Illuminate Financial closes $100m round with backing from JP Morgan and Barclays March 17, 2021 London-based VC firm Illuminate Financial has closed a $100m round with backing from JP Morgan Chase and Barclays. The fund, which is Illuminate’s second, was anchored by Deutsche Borse and IHS Markit, with additional backing from Draper Esprit and family offices. It was launched in early 2019 before closing in January 2021. “It has been [...]
Uber drivers to get holiday pay and pensions after taxi app loses Supreme Court case March 16, 2021 Uber has agreed to give its UK drivers holiday pay and pensions following a landmark ruling in the Supreme Court. The taxi app said all of its 70,000 drivers in the UK will be eligible to receive holiday pay on a fortnightly basis following the case at the UK’s top court, which ruled that drivers [...]
Stripe tops US startup rankings as valuation jumps to $95bn March 15, 2021 Digital payments firm Stripe has become the most valuable private company in Silicon Valley after fresh funding drove up its price tag to $95bn (£68bn). The financial services firm last night announced it had raised $600m in fresh capital from investors including Allianz, Baillie Gifford, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Sequoia Capital, and Ireland’s National [...]
Screenshot: Does the UK media have a racism problem? March 12, 2021 This week: **Media Moment of the Week: GMB gets a new frontman **Does the UK media have a racism problem? **Deliveroo’s IPO giveaway; BT gets in a bind Media Moment of the Week: GMB gets a new frontman What a week it’s been for ITV. In the space of 24 hours it racked up bumper [...]
WPP resumes £620m share buyback as it eyes return to growth March 11, 2021 WPP today said it would resume its £620m share buyback programme and restore its dividend as the advertising giant eyes a return to growth this year. The London-listed ad group halted the buyback, funded by its $4bn sale of Kantar in 2019, and the payout due to the pandemic. But it today said up to [...]
Just Eat Takeaway forecasts order growth after bumper year March 10, 2021 Just Eat Takeaway today said it expected further growth in orders in 2021 after the pandemic helped drive a sharp rise in revenue for the year. The food delivery group hailed an “exceptional” 2020 after posting revenue of €2.4bn (£2bn), up 54 per cent from €1.6bn in the previous 12 months. The company said it [...]
Screenshot: Will nightclubs really reopen in June? March 5, 2021 This week: **Media Moment of the Week: Telly’s still got welly **Will nightclubs really reopen on 21 June? **The BBC turns back time Media Moment of the Week: Telly’s still got welly In the age of Silicon Valley streaming giants and relentless references to “content” and “eyeballs”, it’s easy to forget that TV can, sometimes, [...]
Covid clubbing: What will a night out look like after the pandemic? February 26, 2021 Boris Johnson this week unveiled the UK’s route out of lockdown, unleashing a jubilant flood of social media memes. With 21 June set as the target date for a full lifting of restrictions, Brits were quick to fantasise about how they’ll celebrate their newfound freedom after 15 months of lockdown. The timeline could still be [...]
Screenshot: Is Uber nearing the end of the road? February 26, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Boris’ career coaching **Is Uber nearing the end of the road? **Apple’s merger madness Media Moment of the Week: Boris’ career coaching Social media is a fickle beast, but if there’s one sure-fire way to generate outrage it’s to insult journalists. That’s what Boris Johnson did this week, [...]