Over 400 shops to be sold as part of £2.3bn Ladbrokes-Coral merger May 15, 2016 Bookies Ladbrokes and Coral look set to find out exactly how many branches they must sell this week as part of their £2.3bn merger. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) verdict on the deal is expected in the coming days, with The Sunday Telegraph reporting that the watchdog will order the combined firm to offload between 400 and 500 [...]
The break-up plan: It’s high time to end Britain’s banking oligopoly May 17, 2016 It has been called a near banking "oligopoly". The Big Four banks enjoy such market dominance that they reportedly hold more than three quarters of all active current accounts. According to the FCA, the largest six banks also control 80 per cent of the mortgage market. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) grew sufficiently concerned [...]
Has the Competition and Markets Authority missed a golden opportunity to overhaul the banking sector? May 18, 2016 Rishi Khosla, chief executive and co-founder of OakNorth, says Yes. While the CMA’s proposals will make it easier for individuals and businesses to compare and switch current accounts, and should help improve awareness and shopping around in the market, SMEs have once again been overlooked. The CMA has simply passed the buck to the Treasury, which [...]
Don’t rock the legal sector post-Brexit vote, pleads Law Society chief executive June 28, 2016 The Law Society's chief executive has today urged policymakers not to pick away at regulation surrounding the legal sector so close to the EU referendum result. Speaking ahead of a justice committee hearing on legal services regulation, Catherine Dixon warned that key legal changes that could be sparked by Brexit would take years to put [...]
A new corporate-backed fintech lab has opened in London August 22, 2016 The investment firm behind one of London's top venture capital funds is doubling down on one of the hottest areas of tech with a dedicated lab specialising in all things fintech. Octopus Investments, whose venture capital firm Octopus Ventures backed successful startups such as Swiftkey (acquired by Microsoft), Magic Pony (bought by Twitter) and Zoopla, will launch a fintech [...]
Estate Agent Wars: Competitions watchdog warns firms over suspected collusion in OnTheMarket antitrust row April 21, 2016 Has the government just hammered the final nail in the coffin for OntheMarket? Estate agents have been sent a warning by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), telling them they may be breaking the law by making "joint decisions" to join the portal and exit rivals such as Rightmove and Zoopla. Those who are suspected of [...]
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell welcomes CMA report despite no big bank break-up October 22, 2015 In a surprising move, chancellor John McDonnell said he “welcomed” the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) report today, despite the CMA’s decision to rule out forcing the break-up of banks. Former Labour leader Ed Miliband had pushed for a total restructuring of the banking sector, pledging in 2014 to break up the biggest British banks in [...]
CMA rejects bank break-ups – but this one chart suggests big lenders are ripping customers off October 22, 2015 The competition watchdog may have ruled out breaking up Britain's biggest banks this morning – but this one chart shows customers are paying more money for poorer services from the "Big Four". The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) compared satisfaction ratings from the consumer group Which? with personal current account prices at different banks. They [...]
CMA energy market investigation report pushed back six months September 21, 2015 Plans by the competition watchdog to remedy the energy market and make it easier for people to switch between providers have been put back by six months. The Competition and Markets (CMA) watchdog will now conclude their investigation by next summer rather than by the end of the year, as had been expected, giving energy [...]
Treasury committee chair Andrew Tyrie calls for prompt review on RBS share sale August 17, 2016 The chair of the Treasury Select Committee has today written to the National Audit Office (NAO), seeking a swift review on previous advice given on the government's sale of RBS shares. Andrew Tyrie has sent a letter to Sir Amyas Morse, comptroller and auditor general at the NAO, asking for the Morse's department to take a closer [...]