Donald Trump banned from Facebook for at least two years June 4, 2021 Former US President Donald Trump has been banned from Facebook until at least 2023 after months of debate. The social media company’s independent oversight board upheld Trump’s decision last month, which was enforced in the wake of the Capitol riots over concerns his posts were inciting violence. However the board ruled the decision was “not [...]
Asda overhauls in-store bakeries, putting 1,200 jobs at risk April 14, 2021 Asda has announced plans to overhaul its in-store bakeries in a move that could put up to 1,200 jobs at risk. The firm said that it had started a consultation with staff over the move, stressing that staff redundancies were “the last option”. “If the proposals are enacted, the priority will be to move as [...]
Dame Carolyn Fairbairn joins BAE Systems in non-exec role February 11, 2021 City grandee Dame Carolyn Fairbairn has joined BAE Systems as a non-executive director, the defence giant announced today. Fairbairn, one of the Square Mile’s most high-profile figures, was until last year the director-general of the CBI. She has previously held non-exec roles at the CMA, Lloyds Bank, the FSA, and outsourcer Capita. Prior to that, [...]
Screenshot: Will workers’ rights put a puncture in Deliveroo’s IPO? March 26, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Farewell to the real McCoy **Will workers’ rights put a puncture in Deliveroo’s IPO? **A watchdog bares its teeth Media Moment of the Week: Farewell to the real McCoy In a shock bit of transfer news this week, BBC presenter Simon McCoy announced he was leaving the Beeb [...]
Mark Kleinman’s Column: Walgreens needs different prescription for future of Boots June 1, 2022 As an octogenarian with a literary penchant and more than half a century in business behind him, Stefano Pessina will be as aware as anyone of “time’s winged chariot hurrying near”. But is his sense of the passing of time in danger of impairing the judgement of the notoriously dogged and astute Italian dealmaker? The [...]
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. [...]
Dignity shares rocket after funeral cost controls dropped because of pandemic August 13, 2020 Shares in funeral company Dignity surged nearly 40 per cent today after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it would not introduce price controls because of the coronavirus pandemic. Dignity shares jumped 38 per cent to 540p. The company said it was considering the CMA’s report in detail. An investigation into the sector, focusing [...]
UK watchdog ramps up pressure on tech giants as it sets one-year ultimatum October 19, 2020 The UK competition watchdog has urged the government to step up plans for a new digital regulator as it warned it is preparing to take action against tech giants such as Facebook and Google. Andrea Coscelli, chief executive of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), said his organisation was “actively considering” potential enforcement cases in [...]
New: Watchdog mulls Google probe over ‘anti-competitive’ advertising tech November 23, 2020 The UK competition watchdog is mulling a formal investigation into Google after it received a complaint about the tech giant’s “anti-competitive” new advertising technology. A consortium of businesses today wrote to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) urging it to delay a major new tech release by Google, which they warned would “cement” the tech [...]
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 [...]