DEBATE: Will a global minimum corporate tax lead to real change for multinational giants? June 9, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has agreed to back a deal with G7 nations to create a global minimum corporate tax rate of at least 15 per cent. The agreement has been hailed a world-first to crack down on multinationals shifting profits to low-tax countries in order to skirt tax rules. The proposal, however, has also been [...]
Marks & Spencer and Ocado confirm talks over joint retail venture February 26, 2019 Marks & Spencer and Ocado have confirmed they are “in discussions” around a £1.8bn joint venture. Read more: Ocado to develop 20 new warehouses in first stage of US deal with Kroger The tie-up would see M&S pay Ocado between £800m and £900m for a 50 per cent stake in the food delivery service, according [...]
Ocado sales surge on new M&S deal amid online shopping shift October 13, 2020 Ocado added thousands of new customers following the launch of its partnership with Marks & Spencer amid a sustained rise in the number of consumers choosing to shop online. In the 12 weeks to 4 October, Ocado increased sales by 41.9 per cent as the ecommerce retailer was buoyed by its new deal with M&S [...]
Of dice and men: How Ian Livingstone conquered the nerd universe November 11, 2022 In a leafy enclave of West London, Ian Livingstone is balanced precariously upon a chair in his study, grasping for a top-shelf box filled with incredibly rare figurines. The legs of the chair creak in protest, and there is a moment when I fear I may be responsible for the untimely death of the man [...]
Begbies Traynor buys chartered surveyors as acquisition spree continues February 8, 2021 Professional services firm Begbies Traynor has bought London-based chartered surveyors Hargreaves Newberry Gyngell (HNG), in a deal worth £1m. HNG employs 13 staff, who will all integrate with Eddisons, Begbies Traynor’s property advisory and transactional services division. The acquisition is for an initial cash consideration of £0.4m on a cash free, debt free basis. Contingent [...]
Tory MP slammed after telling anti-vaxxers NHS figures are ‘manipulated’ January 28, 2021 A Conservative MP has faced condemnation from government ministers after he told an anti-vaccination campaign group that NHS statistics are being “manipulated” and that we are living in a “police state”. Sir Desmond Swayne told Save Our Rights UK, which organised the anti-lockdown rally in Trafalgar Square last September, to continue their fight against lockdown [...]
FTSE 100 slides despite strong earnings but Wall Street picks up May 26, 2021 The FTSE 100 slipped today despite a strong set of corporate earnings on a slow day for Europe’s markets. Across the Atlantic, however, Wall Street showed signs of gains after another positive start for tech stocks. London’s blue-chip index fell 0.1 per cent over the course of the day, a second straight session of losses [...]
Up in smoke: Imperial Brands to put breaks on dividend July 8, 2019 British tobacco giant Imperial Brands is set to abandon its ten per cent dividend growth target as it focuses on catching the vaping market. The news came alongside a £200m share buyback, sending the company soaring on the London exchange. Read more: Puffed – Imperial Brands shares drop on vaping slowdown Shares rose 2.74 per [...]
UK regulators unveil ‘joined-up’ approach ahead of Big Tech crackdown March 10, 2021 Three major UK watchdogs have outlined their “joined-up” approach to digital regulation this morning as authorities prepare to crack down on Big Tech. The Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DCRF), which includes Ofcom, the Competition Markets Authority (CMA) and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), today unveiled its first annual plan for co-ordinating new regulation across online [...]
Chief whip ‘told about Tory MP rape claims four months ago’ August 3, 2020 The government’s chief whip was last night accused of failing to act for four months on allegations against a Tory MP and former minister arrested for suspected rape over the weekend. Tory chief whip Mark Spencer is understood to have spoken with the complainant in April, but failed to launch an investigation into the allegations. [...]