Suez keen to buy back UK business ahead of Veolia competition ruling June 16, 2022 French waste and water firm Suez is gearing up to buy back its former UK business. The UK’s competition watchdog is set to make a judgement next month on whether rival Veolia can take over the arm. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) had warned last month that the merger could result in council bills [...]
Profiteering? Supermarkets to face Parliamentary grilling this week June 25, 2023 Supermarket bosses will be probed this week on whether or not they are profiteering from high prices. Lead figures from UK ‘Big four’ grocers, including Morrison’s boss David Potts, will face questions from MPs on Tuesday on red hot food and fuel prices, and when customers might see price falls. Sainsbury’s’ food commercial director, Tesco’s [...]
Taxpayers and passengers hit by competition issues in railway station catering market, watchdog warns December 12, 2023 A lack of competition in the railway station catering market is driving up costs for passengers and taxpayers, the rail watchdog has warned.
Handle with care: Big Tech mergers are not as evil as our watchdogs might believe December 7, 2021 Watchdogs and oversight bodies around the world, including the US Federal Trade Commission, have tried to break up Big Tech, but the UK may be the first to succeed — at the cost of entrepreneurship and innovation. Last week, the Competition and Markets Authority ordered Facebook’s parent company, Meta, to sell Giphy over antitrust concerns. [...]
CMA chair Tyrie was ‘forced to step down’ after row with directors June 28, 2020 The chairman of the UK’s competition watchdog was forced to step down three years early after a stand-off with the firm’s chief executive, according to reports. Lord Tyrie, who last week announced he would stand down as chairman of the Competition and Markets authority (CMA) in September three years earlier than planned, had fallen out [...]
Ministers urged to deploy national security laws over Barclay Telegraph bid November 19, 2023 Ministers have been urged to deploy the UK’s national security laws over the Barclay family’s UAE-backed bid to buy back the Telegraph newspaper.
Leasehold reforms set to be walked back after investor lobbying March 25, 2024 Plans to cap ground rents on leasehold properties are set to be walked back after lobbying from pension funds and investors, according to reports.
Competition watchdog launches first phase of Morrisons takeover probe January 27, 2022 The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched the first phase of its probe into the takeover of Morrisons by a US private equity giant today. The £7bn deal, which was completed in October, saw Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Holdings (CD&R) remove Morrisons from the London Stock Exchange. The move prompted the CMA to order the [...]
Regulators must be kept in check, Tory MPs warn April 18, 2023 Tory MPs have warned powerful regulators operating “largely unchecked” are holding back the UK’s economy and “directly hindering” the country’s growth prospects. The backbench Regulatory Reform Group (RRG) has called for increased parliamentary oversight of the UK’s regulators – from water and energy watchdogs Ofwat and Ofgem to banking supervisor the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). [...]
UK must solve labour issues and cut red tape to help ease food inflation, lobby group warns May 16, 2023 The UK government must address labour shortages and make sure regulations don’t weigh food producers down to help ease food price inflation, an industry lobby group has warned. Downing Street hosted a Farm to Fork event at No10 with retailers, traders and producers invited, as Rishi Sunak announced greater protections for farmers in future trade [...]