UK economy shrinks 20 per cent in April lockdown in worst ever month June 12, 2020 The UK economy shrank by a record 20 per cent in the first full month of lockdown as shops sent workers home to close for the duration of April. Activity in the UK economy contracted by 20.4 per cent in April, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said today, marking the single largest monthly drop [...]
Why the housing minister merry-go-round is hurting the industry February 18, 2020 When Boris Johnson sacked housing minister Esther McVey last week, people working in the sector could have been forgiven for reacting somewhat wearily. Her replacement, Christopher Pincher, is the tenth person to hold the job in the last decade, and the nineteenth since 2000. It is, by some distance, the worst churn experienced by any [...]
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 [...]
Coronavirus hits hospitality: Loan scheme leaves restaurants high and dry April 19, 2020 Ranald MacDonald is Managing Director of Boisdale’s Restaurants In newspapers, so I’m told, a cracking story is known as a “marmalade dropper,” so named because it stops you – and indeed your toast – in your tracks. And that’s exactly what Rishi Sunak’s announcement of a £330bn rescue package for British business to get through [...]
M&A activity targeting UK slumps amid no-deal Brexit fears September 12, 2019 Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity targeting the UK has fallen almost 40 per cent on the same period last year, with investors slowing down decision making amid ongoing political turmoil. Corporate M&A also tumbled to £15.1bn in the second quarter of 2019, its lowest value since the EU referendum according to data from Mergermarket. Read [...]
Restaurants can serve up lessons on why we should hire ex-offenders December 16, 2019 The hospitality sector is serving up more than Christmas parties this month. In the face of intense staffing challenges, employers in the industry can also serve up a lesson in how to effectively hire alternative talent. Restaurants, bars, and hotels are in the midst of the biggest skills shortage in decades — almost 80 per [...]
Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin launches attack on City regulators November 13, 2019 JD Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin lashed out at proxy advisor Pirc this morning, branding the firm’s recommendations to shareholders unhelpful to “business and the country”. In a wide-ranging attack on corporate governance, Martin slammed Pirc’s advice as “toxic” and called major Wetherspoon shareholders Columbia Threadneedle and Blackrock “hypocrites”. Read more: Wetherspoon faces backlash over Brexit [...]
Restaurant insolvencies jump by a fifth as casual dining sector squeeze continues September 16, 2019 The number of restaurants collapsing into insolvency has risen by 20 per cent in the last year amid tough competition on the UK high street. Roughly 1,410 restaurants went insolvent in the year to the end of June, up by a fifth on the previous 12 months, according to figures compiled by accountancy firm UHY [...]
UK weather warning in place as month of rain to fall on Friday August 16, 2019 The UK looks on course for its wettest August on record following a washout start to the month that is set to continue. New flood warnings have been issued across the west of Britain for Friday with a month’s worth of rain expected to fall within a 24-hour period. The Met Office have issued a [...]
Number of late night alcohol licences falls as consumer behaviour changes March 3, 2019 The number of pubs, bars and nightclubs with late-night licences has fallen by a fifth over the last five years as would-be revellers opt for dating apps and Netflix over boozy nights out, according to new research. While the number of pubs and clubs with 24-hour licences has dropped from 919 in 2018 to 742 [...]