Competition regulator set to launch reforms to beef up consumer protection February 24, 2019 Consumer protection is set to be beefed up with bigger fines and disqualification for company directors under a new set of proposals to be announced tomorrow by the competition watchdog. The chairman of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Lord Tyrie will announce a set of proposed reforms at an event with the business secretary Greg [...]
Budget 2021: Tax hikes are the same as austerity and will spell Rishi Sunak’s downfall March 2, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s budget marks the beginning of a damaging era of austerity that risks crushing Britain’s economic recovery. While other countries are trying to jumpstart their economies, Rishi is expected to ratchet up income and corporate taxes to address the mounting deficit. The Chancellor is right that Britain’s fiscal position is not sustainable. It [...]
Better together: How media firms are teaming up to take on tech November 30, 2019 The media industry is in flux and embattled publishers and broadcasters are banding together. But will it be enough to fend off the might of big tech? In Succession, the hit HBO show about a crumbling media dynasty, virtually every conversation is a power struggle. But for ageing patriarch Logan Roy, a thinly-veiled Rupert Murdoch, [...]
Lawyers know best: Is it time law firms left the LLP behind? March 8, 2021 Recent legislative changes have paved the way for new, alternative structures in law firms, a sector that was previously dominated by traditional partnerships and LLPs – limited liability partnerships. Alternative business structures (ABSs) – which allow non-lawyers to have a financial stake in a firm – have grown in popularity throughout the 2010s, and for [...]
Former BT boss tapped to lead search for Huawei replacement September 23, 2020 Former BT chief executive and trade minister Lord Ian Livingston has been tapped to find alternative telecoms providers to replace Huawei equipment in the UK’s 5G networks. Livingston has been named as chair of a new government task force that will seek to diversify the country’s telecoms supply chain and reduce reliance on high-risk vendors. [...]
Bauer Media acquires ten regional radio stations amid competition probe March 5, 2019 Bauer Media has snapped up a further ten regional radio stations as it faces a competition probe into its spate of acquisitions earlier in the year. The media giant today said it has bought UKRD Group, which owns stations across Yorkshire, East Anglia, the south and the south west of England. Read more: Bauer Media [...]
Grave danger: Dignity posts falling profit as death rate dip takes bite out of results May 13, 2019 A dip in the number of Brits dying in the first three months of the year buried profits at Dignity, the funeral provider reported today. It comes as pressure has been growing on the funeral industry, which is facing a competition probe into its practices and prices. Read more: Hymns fall out of funeral charts as [...]
Home insurers make 100 per cent of profits from loyal customers April 10, 2019 Home insurance companies make 100 per cent of their profits from penalising loyal customers, new research shows. A study published today by Citizens Advice found home insurers make all their profits – amounting to over £1bn a year – from loyal customers holding policies for six years or more. The research showed that loyal customers [...]
Why bombed-out Sainsbury’s leads the FTSE 100 May 10, 2019 Hammered since the Asda merger was blocked, our head of markets explains the surge to a three-week high. Rather than fight the decision of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Sainsbury (LSE:SBRY) and Asda decided to call off the wedding. This leaves a huge strategic question mark over where Sainsbury's goes next. Not surprisingly, the [...]
Why the UK should rethink its restrictive rules on dual-class shares July 27, 2020 The ability to have a dual-class voting structure can be an important consideration for high-growth, innovative companies (especially those in the technology sector) when deciding on an IPO venue. These structures are not possible for a premium listing in London, whereas they are available on other major stock exchanges, meaning that the UK risks missing [...]