Watchdog blocks Lloyds’ unfair treatment of Covid-hit firms September 8, 2020 The competition watchdog has stopped Lloyds Bank from forcing small business customers to open business current accounts when taking out bounce back loans. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has accused Lloyds of “bundling” loans and business current accounts for small companies. Bundling is where a bank requires small business customers to open a current [...]
CMA launches probe into music streaming market January 27, 2022 UK competition watchdog launched a study this morning asking whether the music streaming market is working well for music lovers. In the UK, more than 80 per cent of recorded music is now listened to via a streaming service rather than using traditional physical media like CDs and vinyl. Linking the creators making the music [...]
CMA gives Amazon’s Deliveroo investment the all-clear August 4, 2020 The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has officially cleared Amazon’s 16 per cent stake in food delivery startup Deliveroo, after a lengthy investigation process. The watchdog awarded the deal initial clearance in April on the basis that Deliveroo could go out of business without the Amazon investment, but later changed its methodology to just focus [...]
Cost of living: Morrisons follows Tesco and Asda in announcing fuel price cut of 6p per litre August 3, 2022 Morrisons is the latest supermarket to announce it is slashing the price of fuel, as households struggle to stay afloat amid a cost of living crisis. The retailer said on Wednesday that it had cut the cost of unleaded and diesel by an average of six pence a litre over the last week at all [...]
Supermarkets ‘implored’ to lower forecourt fuel prices after steady wholesale drop November 28, 2022 Motoring group the RAC has urged supermarkets for not lowering prices in forecourts despite wholesale fuel going down in price. The car-owners’ organisation appealed to the big four – Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Asda to make consumers’ lives easier amid the cost of living crisis. In new figures released, the RAC showed wholesale fuel prices [...]
Treasury-backed fintech body calls in open banking chief as chair November 8, 2022 A government-backed body set up to boost the country’s fintech sector has appointed industry grandee Charlotte Crosswell as its chair today, as it readies to start operations following a £5.5m Treasury funding commitment last year.
Rebel water companies get partial support in fight over price cuts September 29, 2020 Four water companies have today won some critical support in their fight against proposals that would force them to slash household bills. As a result of the provisional ruling from the UK’s competition watchdog, Anglian, Bristol, Northumbrian and Yorkshire will be able to spend an additional £214m in investment into the UK’s creaking water infrastructure. [...]
Competition watchdog moves closer to green light on Amazon and Deliveroo deal June 23, 2020 The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is set to make the first step in giving the tie-up between Amazon and Deliveroo the green light. The announcement, which could be made this afternoon, would reissue a provisional approval of Amazon’s £442m deal to buy a 16 per cent stake in Deliveroo, Sky News reported. The watchdog [...]
Inflation is pushing prices up – but anticompetitive cartels could be too April 5, 2022 Tough times prompt more crime. It is a truism which, as usual, contains a measure of fact. Prices have been rising for months and a spike in fuel costs worldwide has created a perfect storm for cartel activity and prompted an unprecedented reaction from the world’s leading competition agencies. One major concern is companies taking [...]
Competition watchdog investigates complaint over treatment of whistleblower December 19, 2021 The UK's competition authority has reportedly launched an internal investigation into claims a director pressured a whistleblower to retract claims.