Ollie Phillips: Will Spencer red card highlights complicated nature of rugby’s high tackle laws September 20, 2018 Will Spencer’s red card and subsequent four-week ban for a high tackle during Leicester’s 41-35 defeat by Wasps last weekend has sparked a perennial debate in rugby. High tackles are a complicated subject. The focus of rugby’s administrators is to reduce concussions and they’re understandably hot on the issue at the moment. The law change [...]
Ollie Phillips: Will Spencer red card highlights complicated nature of rugby’s high tackle laws September 20, 2018 Will Spencer’s red card and subsequent four-week ban for a high tackle during Leicester’s 41-35 defeat by Wasps last weekend has sparked a perennial debate in rugby. High tackles are a complicated subject. The focus of rugby’s administrators is to reduce concussions and they’re understandably hot on the issue at the moment. The law change [...]
Horse Racing Betting Tips: Enola Gay can pay for the day at Sandown January 3, 2019 CHRISTMAS was a bit of a slog for punters. Unexpected results in the King George and the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day, as well as a fistful of unfancied winners throughout the festive period, meant the bookies rolled into 2019 on top. Tomorrow’s card at Sandown, where the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle is [...]
Mark Kleinman’s big predictions for the Square Mile in 2019 January 11, 2019 Sir Martin Sorrell’s WPP exit, Unilever’s HQ U-turn, Melrose’s swoop for GKN: 2018 was a year full of surprises in the City. And while forecasting might be a fool’s errand, here are 10 predictions for the year ahead. •Theresa May will decisively lose next week’s “meaningful vote” on Brexit: that’s not a punt that will [...]
Is the high street really doomed? June 26, 2018 UK high street retailers have endured a torrid time over the last few years. A slew of store closures, job losses and administrations don’t make for pretty headlines, and illustrate just how difficult it is for those looking to invest in the retail sector. Discount retailer Poundworld followed electronics firm Maplin and toy retailer Toys [...]
Christmas shoppers shunned the high street, but attacking Amazon won’t help January 11, 2019 Between the fierce renewal of the Brexit saga, parliamentary shenanigans, and a particularly chilling cold front (interpret that literally or metaphorically, as you will), the merriness of Christmas feels like a thing of the past. But for the high street, it feels like Christmas never came at all. Reports of retail sales, released yesterday by [...]
Marks and Spencer results will reflect the high street’s health November 4, 2018 Results from Marks and Spencer’s clothing range – long the weaker twin to its strong food offering – will be closely watched when the retailer reports on Wednesday, after difficult results for several of its rivals. Consensus estimates from 11 analysts suggest the FTSE 100 firm will post half-year profits before tax of £203m, a [...]
Food can’t save M&S as it posts weak results again November 8, 2018 High street bellwether Marks and Spencer issued another disappointing set of figures yesterday and warned that sales are unlikely to pick up any time soon. Shares closed down 0.5 per cent, having been over three per cent down earlier in the day. M&S warned of tough trading conditions due to fierce competition from online competitors [...]
Cabinet reshuffle live: Chancellor resigns over turf war with No 10, as PM shakes up top team February 13, 2020 This is a live blog, please hit refresh to update 6pm – Live blog wrap Well, that’s your lot for today – at least, in terms of this live blog. My colleagues will be picking up on the rest of the appointments this evening and tomorrow. It was quite a day – certainly more of [...]
Next defies Christmas fears with online sales boost but outlook remains cautious amid Brexit uncertainty January 3, 2019 Next has opened the crucial post-Christmas trading update season by reducing its full-year profit expectations, but defied investor worries by increasing sales. The retailer said full-price sales for the festive period were up 1.5 per cent between 28 October and 29 December, in line with its expectations. Next reported a 14.9 per cent increase in online [...]