Stick with HS2 or scrap it? Where every Tory leadership contender stands on the £56bn railway June 5, 2019 Theresa May has just days left as Tory leader, and it’s not just Brexit where the future is unclear – HS2 is also at a crossroads. Much of the talk around May’s potential successors has been centred on their stance on a no-deal Brexit. But in the transport world, all minds are focused on whether [...]
Private equity firm Apollo takes Aspen Insurance private in $2.6bn deal August 28, 2018 Aspen Insurance said today that funds associated with private equity firm Apollo Global Management had agreed to take it private in a $2.6bn deal. The Bermuda-headquartered insurer, which is listed in the US, has significant UK operations with offices in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Chelmsford, Croydon, Glasgow, Leeds and Manchester. Apollo will pay $42.75 per share, [...]
Ride-hailing firm Ola kicks off operations in UK August 20, 2018 Uber rival Ola today launched its first services in the UK, as it started operations across South Wales in Cardiff, Newport and Vale of Glamorgan. The Indian firm, which has 125m customers worldwide, says it will offer drivers high introductory commission rates. Customers will also be given discounts on journeys using the ride-hailing app. The company said [...]
Saint Claudio: Ranieri will have to pull off another miracle if Fulham are to survive January 17, 2019 When it rains, it pours. And when fighting relegation down at the bottom of the Premier League table, it can seem as though everything is going wrong. It felt that way for David Wagner, who left basement club Huddersfield earlier this week, and it must feel that way for Claudio Ranieri, whose Fulham players recently [...]
FA Cup talking points: Giantkillings, QPR arrest their slump, Watford avoid Woking slip-up, Blackpool’s plight and 7-0 thrashings January 6, 2019 Where else to start than with the upsets? They are what makes the FA Cup such a unique competition, and as ever the first involvement of Premier League sides brought some giant killings. Oldham and Newport County led the celebrations today after beating Fulham and Leicester respectively, while Accrington Stanley, Gillingham, Barnet, Bristol City and [...]
DEBATE: Has the Northern Powerhouse run out of steam? October 12, 2018 Has the Northern Powerhouse run out of steam? Emma Revell, communications officer at the Centre for Policy Studies, says YES. The Northern Powerhouse hasn’t quite run out of steam but it’s certainly not firing on all cylinders. Rail infrastructure improvements have been shelved, the architects of the Northern Powerhouse (most notably George Osborne and Jim O'Neill) [...]
Manchester bike-sharing firm Mobike develops tech to track cycles and lock them remotely June 28, 2017 Mobike, the bike-sharing firm bringing Boris-style bikes to Manchester, has developed location tracking technology that allows bikes to be locked remotely. The Chinese firm has teamed up with digital security company Gemalto to embed a “smart bike lock”. Today’s announcement comes a week after bike-sharing rival Wukong went bust after losing 90 per cent of [...]
Old friends become foes as Arsenal legends Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira face each other as managers for the first time January 15, 2019 They stood side by side for club and country over a decade ago, winning just about every trophy there was to be won, but on Wednesday evening, Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira will put their playing pasts behind them as they go head to head as managers for the first time. The Arsenal and France [...]
Unai Emery is as animated as he is meticulous… he takes a different approach to every team-talk he gives November 8, 2018 Arsenal’s appointment of Unai Emery in May was met with uncertainty, but he has quickly shown English football what he is all about by reviving the Gunners’ fortunes. The Spaniard is as animated on the touchline as he is meticulous on the training ground – so it may not be a surprise to learn that [...]
Five things to look out for in the Premier League this weekend: A top of the table clash, Mourinho under pressure, and Cardiff scoring off set-pieces September 13, 2018 Can Liverpool prove their title credentials at Wembley? Last season Liverpool were outplayed at Tottenham’s temporary home, losing 4-1 after Mauricio Pochettino’s side put on a vibrant, attacking display which highlighted clear deficiencies in Liverpool's backline. Things have changed since then and Jurgen Klopp’s side have breezed through their opening four games, collecting a maximum [...]