Number of companies entering administration leaps by a third in the third quarter October 22, 2019 The number of companies entering administration jumped by more than a third during the third quarter of the year, analysis published today showed. A study of notices in the London Gazette by accountancy firm KPMG showed a total of 417 companies went into administration between July and September 2019, compared with 310 in the previous [...]
Audit regulator proposes challenger firms get larger share of the work January 25, 2020 The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has proposed a regime to the government that would see challenger firms outside the so-called big four auditors be given a substantial proportion of the audit work of major British companies. The accounting regulator has drawn up plans behind closed doors that would require all but the very biggest FTSE-350 [...]
EY appoints audit chief to run UK and Ireland business March 12, 2020 EY has picked its audit chief to run its UK business, continuing the Big Four’s woeful record of senior female leadership. Hywel Ball, who has been with the firm for 35 years, was today appointed as UK and Ireland managing partner from 1 July, succeeding Steve Varley. Ball’s selection over potential female candidates continues the [...]
Corporate sponsors review links to Duke of York’s Pitch@Palace scheme after disastrous interview November 18, 2019 FIRMS are under scrutiny over their support for Prince Andrew’s Pitch@Palace initiative, as the fallout from the Duke of York’s weekend interview regarding his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continues. Founding partner of the entrepreneurs’ mentoring scheme KPMG is said to have decided not to renew its sponsorship, which expired at the end of last month. It [...]
Fewer firms are going bust despite high profile collapses July 22, 2019 Fewer companies went bust in England and Wales in the second quarter than in the first three months of 2019, according to professional services firm KPMG, despite a handful of high profile business collapses. Read more: Jamie’s Italian to slim down with restaurant closures The number of firms going into administration fell by 14 per [...]
With every crisis comes an opportunity, so what should a post-coronavirus UK work towards? March 25, 2020 The world is in crisis. All over the world, governments and businesses – and most importantly people – are slowly adjusting to a world that seemed implausible only a few weeks ago. Yet here we are. And if there is any certainty now, it is that we are unlikely to emerge from this to return [...]
Game calls for ‘realistic’ rents as it closes 40 stores across the UK January 9, 2020 Game today urged its landlords to set “realistic” rents as the retailer confirmed it will close 40 stores across the country. The video game chain, which is owned by Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct, had already served notice to 13 sites, including Watford, Canterbury and Leicester. Read more: Sports Direct set for Game Digital takeover after [...]
‘Worst year on record’ for retailers in 2019 January 9, 2020 Last year was the worst 12 months on record for UK retailers, as overall annual sales dipped for the first time since 1995, according to the latest data. Total sales in 2019 fell 0.1 per cent, marking the worst year for retailers since records began 25 years ago, due to a year of political uncertainty [...]
Venture capital investment in fast-growing UK businesses surges October 10, 2019 Venture capital (VC) investment in fast-growing British businesses surged 19 per cent in the third quarter to over £2.4bn, new figures have shown, meaning the UK is on target to smash last year’s record investment levels. Over £7.4bn was invested by VCs in UK scaleup firms during the first nine months of 2019, almost equalling [...]
Department store Beales in crisis talks to stave off collapse January 13, 2020 Struggling department store chain Beales is in crisis talks with potential buyers in an effort to stave of a collapse that could cost hundreds of jobs. The talks come after the Bournemouth-based firm yesterday filed notice of its intention to appoint administrators to step in as a last resort if the firm cannot cannot be [...]