LSE’s chairman bruiser Donald Brydon bruised but unbowed, another corporate Saga and N+1 Singer’s silence December 15, 2017 There are few more obvious boardroom caricatures than that of the trigger-happy chairman, so it hasn’t been difficult to cast Donald Brydon in the role of executive assassin. Next week, the effort to oust him from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) will reach its damp squib of a denouement. To Sir Christopher Hohn, boss [...]
Editor’s Notes: Conspiracy theorists will always join the dots they want to see, bitcoin’s energy boom and the LSE row has left everyone weaker December 8, 2017 Before the fortuitous turn of events that took me into journalism, I did a lot of work with think tanks. These organisations come in all shapes and sizes – some are small, scrappy policy shops while others are quite grand, well-funded institutions. What they all tend to have in common is a staff of smart, [...]
Saga share price drops as it expects full-year profits to be hit by the collapse of Monarch Airlines December 6, 2017 Over-50s insurance specialist Saga has warned that underlying profits will grow at a slower than expected rate this year and will be around five per cent lower next year following the collapse of Monarch Airlines. Saga’s underlying profit before tax growth is expected to be between one and two per cent for the year to [...]
Southern owner Govia Thameslink Railway unveils next phase of its mass timetable restructure – and wants passengers’ opinions November 24, 2017 Southern rail owner Govia Thameslink Railway has announced proposals for a massive timetable restructure, and wants passengers’ opinions on the latest stage of it. It has already carried out two phases of consultation, but this latest is concentrating on weekend and late night services. Proposed changes include: • Doubling Saturday services for Hertford North, Welwyn [...]
Co-op has made a formal offer to buy convenience chain Nisa for £137.5m October 10, 2017 The Co-operative has offered to buy convenience chain Nisa for £137.5m. Nisa released a statement this morning saying that its board had unanimously recommended the offer to its members. The offer includes £137.5m for the full shareholding of the company plus associated deal costs of £5.5m, totting up to a total cost to Co-op of [...]
The EU is prepared to bend the rules on Russia – when it’s in Germany’s interests September 21, 2017 The EU is in a fix. It perceives danger on its Eastern frontier from Russia, yet its energy and climate policies make it ultra-dependent upon it for energy supplies. There is no doubt that Germany is the driving force behind the EU. It is the bloc’s industrial powerhouse and exporter, and also provides much of [...]
Ryanair’s already precarious reputation may be grounded by its spate of cancellations September 20, 2017 As Ryanair – and its passengers – begin to count the cost of its decision to cancel 40 to 50 flights every day for the next six weeks, YouGov BrandIndex data suggest that the saga is already denting the airline’s long-term efforts to improve its public perception. The brand blames poor planning of pilots’ holidays [...]
Former Tesco (TSCO) executives set to appear in UK court on fraud charges September 3, 2017 Three former Tesco executives will appear in court tomorrow, charged with fraud relating to the supermarket’s 2014 accounting scandal. The three men were charged by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) last September, and pleaded not guilty to the charges at a hearing at the beginning of August. Read more: Co-op’s the latest supermarket to drop [...]
Brics are the new battleground for the global inequality fight August 2, 2017 With all eyes on the revolving cast of characters heading in and out of the White House, and on the latest developments in the ongoing Brexit saga, it’s important to remember that the rest of the world continues to get on with life. This week, for example, trade ministers of the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, [...]
It’s confirmed: BMW’s all-electric Mini is being built at the Cowley plant in the UK July 25, 2017 A fully-electric version of the Mini is to be built at BMW’s plant at Cowley, near Oxford, the car firm has announced. The decision marks a boost for the future of the Cowley plant, after question marks arose over where BMW would choose to make the new model, with ongoing Brexit uncertainty. Mini makes around [...]