Brexit: ‘Some progress’ made in trade talks this week, says UK negotiator November 15, 2020 There has been “some progress” this week in UK-EU post-Brexit trade talks, according to UK chief negotiator David Frost. Frost tweeted today that the two sides “largely have common draft treaty texts, though significant elements are of course not yet agreed” and that talks will restart today in Brussels. This week’s soft deadline to get [...]
Don’t let lockdown ruin your weekend: From take away pints to virtual clubbing November 14, 2020 As we enter the second weekend of lockdown 2, things seem rather bleak. As if the total closure of bars, restaurants, galleries, cinemas and theatres wasn’t enough, it’s also forecast to rain for most of the weekend. Thankfully, we’re here to cheer you up a bit. With the latest movies to stream, restaurant delivery boxes [...]
Building consensus on London’s housing priorities November 13, 2020 The housing market has the potential to play a significant role in the UK’s economic and social recovery from the pandemic – but housing in London faces a mounting number of challenges and uncertainties in doing so. That was the verdict of a roundtable held as part of a UK-wide initiative by Lloyds Banking Group [...]
Disney doubles down on streaming as it keeps a lid on losses November 13, 2020 Disney has said its nascent streaming service is key to the future success of its business after the media giant swung to its first annual loss in four decades. The House of Mouse today said it had racked up almost 74m paid subscribers for its Disney Plus platform, which launched in the UK on the [...]
New FCA chief tells City: ‘We are committed to open markets’ post-Brexit November 12, 2020 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is committed to maintaining open financial markets following the end of the Brexit transition period, warning that not doing so will disrupt the city. Speaking today at Mansion House in an address to city regulators, new chief executive Nikhil Rathi said the watchdog had been keeping its focus on readiness [...]
Legal & General shares fall after insurer scales back dividend plans due to Covid-19 November 12, 2020 Shares in Legal & General fell today after the insurance giant kept its final dividend payment for 2020 flat due the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and cut its five-year dividend growth target. In an update to the stock exchange this morning, Legal & General said it had delivered a “resilient” performance so far this [...]
London’s housing market activity expected to slow next year, survey finds November 12, 2020 London’s housing market activity is expected to slow down next year as the withdrawal of government support measures and a difficult economic backdrop dampens the post-lockdown surge in demand. The latest research showed that both demand for properties and new homes being listed for sales remained strong last month. However a survey by the Royal [...]
Begone Trumpist protectionism! How Biden will boost prospects for global trade November 12, 2020 We cannot be sure on the exact order in which European leaders were contacted by the US President-elect, but we do know that Boris Johnson was among them early on, silencing the hysteria that our Prime Minister might be snubbed. Fears have abounded during this US presidential race that a Joe Biden win would result [...]
Boris Johnson says controversial PR spending needed to ‘fight anti-vaxxers’ November 11, 2020 Boris Johnson has claimed that money splurged by vaccine taskforce chief Kate Bingham on private PR companies was necessary to combat anti-vaccine conspiracy theories. Bingham, who is married to Tory minister Jesse Norman, was plunged into a scandal over the weekend when it was revealed she had spent £670,000 on private PR companies for the [...]
SSE joins net zero push with 2050 emissions pledge November 11, 2020 Energy giant SSE has become the latest business to commit to reaching net zero emissions by 2050, it was announced this morning. Over 1,000 companies have already signed up to the “Race to Zero” campaign, placing their operations in line with efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. The Scottish business has already put [...]