UK firms cut more than 106,000 jobs amid coronavirus pandemic August 19, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has battered the UK economy since it arrived in early 2020 – and no sector has remained unscathed, with more than 100,000 job cuts planned during the pandemic. The government’s furlough scheme has allowed millions of people to keep getting a paycheck, but fears are growing that when this is phased out [...]
Wetherspoon shares fall as it warns that staff wage increase will hurt profits November 7, 2018 J D Wetherspoon shares fell 13 per cent to 1,138p today after it announced a rise in sales, but warned its decision to hand staff a wage increase without increasing prices will impact full-year profits. The pub chain, which has almost 1,000 branches in the UK, said like-for-like sales increased 5.5 per cent and total sales by [...]
We must not let Brexit distract from the global war on single-use plastic March 25, 2019 At a time of ongoing uncertainty, and with so much attention on the drama unfolding in Westminster, it is easy to forget that there are other issues that are equally important. And, of course, we’re not just talking about issues affecting us in the UK, but globally too. One matter that certainly needs our attention [...]
Rishi Sunak Summer Statement: All the Chancellor’s spending pledges July 8, 2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak today announced a raft of measures in his Summer Statement in a bid to help the UK economy recover from the worst effects of coronavirus. The Treasury boss revealed massive public spending to bolster the UK economy in what people are calling his mini-Budget. While he did not extend the government’s furlough [...]
Essential consumer spending slows as shoppers balance Christmas budgets January 10, 2019 Essential consumer spending growth in December fell to the lowest rate in more than two years as shoppers attempted to balance Christmas budgets. Spending on essential goods grew 1.8 per cent year-on-year last month, representing a contraction in real terms, according to data from Barclaycard. Clothing spending fell by three per cent and expenditure in department [...]
Admiral Taverns snaps up Heineken’s excess pubs following Punch Taverns acquisition November 1, 2017 Admiral Taverns today announced it has reached an agreement to take on some of the pubs shed by Heineken following its acquisition of Punch Taverns. Admiral, which was itself bought by new owners in September, has formed a partnership with Scottish hospitality group G1 to acquire a portfolio of 29 pubs. Due to the ongoing [...]
West End property giant Shaftesbury posts ‘resilient’ retail demand ahead of investor showdown February 8, 2019 London landlord Shaftesbury said this morning that demand for retail space had been resilient over the crucial Christmas trading period, with consumers continuing to visit bars and restaurants in the firm’s West End portfolio during the festive season. The FTSE 250 group, which is bracing itself for a shareholder showdown at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) [...]
How a Lexus mid-life crisis led to a £3m yacht and a car that outshines Jaguar and Porsche October 30, 2019 A few years ago, at the prestigious Pebble Beach concours in California, the president of the Toyota Motor Company was holding court and pressing flesh. Akio Toyoda, 63, is the grandson of Toyota’s founder and so, you can imagine, he takes enormous pride in its products, and none more so than its luxury off-shoot, Lexus. [...]
Who’s buying UK shares and what does it tell us? November 29, 2019 High demand for UK-quoted companies from large and experienced buyers suggests other investors may be overlooking an opportunity. Will a UK general election on 12 December help break the Brexit stalemate? Possibly, possibly not. The ongoing uncertainty means investors of almost every stripe remain cautious about buying UK equities (shares). I stress ‘almost’ because some [...]
New homes: Our pick of the new builds going on sale in London this weekend March 15, 2019 New developments on the market this week Boat Race House, Barnes From £485,000 Enjoy a prime view of the finishing line of the Boat Race in the comfort of your own home at this new riverside development. As well as a view of the Thames, buyers of these new homes will be guaranteed private outdoor [...]