Serious Fraud Office to call for overhaul of disclosure regime following trial issues September 4, 2022 THE UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is pushing for the UK’s current disclosure framework to be reformed and brought into the 21st century, City A.M. has learned. The head of the fraud agency, Lisa Osofsky, is expected to use a speech in Cambridge tomorrow to call for an overhaul of the current disclosure regime, which [...]
Unions plan to coordinate future strikes August 29, 2022 Trade unions are working on plans to coordinate strike action over the coming months, as workers from all sectors across the country go on strike in search of inflation-busting pay rises. A motion has been drafted for the upcoming TUC Congress that calls for a more joined-up approach to industrial action. The motion, which was [...]
Some audit partners retiring early fearing regulatory scrutiny, accounting body warns August 29, 2022 Some audit partners are retiring early over fears that they might be subject to regulatory scrutiny from the UK’s audit watchdog, a major accounting body has cautioned. “It can have negative consequences for your career if there is any deficit in the audit work you’ve done,” Michael Izza, chief executive of the Institute of Chartered [...]
Utilita Energy boss calls on the UK government to freeze the energy price cap August 22, 2022 The boss of Utilita Energy has called on the UK government to freeze the energy price cap to help support millions of households and firms this winter. Boss Bill Bullen has written to Kwasi Kwarteng calling for the urgent intervention to protect businesses and consumers faced with skyrocketing energy bills, and to stop energy prices [...]
Bulb bailout set to balloon to £4bn by April August 22, 2022 The cost of bailing out energy supplier Bulb Energy could balloon to £4bn by April unless it can be sold sooner. Bulb became the first energy firm to fall into special administration last November, as it struggled with spiralling wholesale costs and the constraints of the energy price cap. But Bulb is currently gobbling up [...]
Kwarteng says ‘help is coming’ as energy price cap looks set to exceed £6,000 next year August 21, 2022 Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has said that more support for households to cope with rising energy bills is on its way, as forecasters predict the energy price cap will exceed £6,000 in April next year. Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Kwarteng said: “Russia is the world’s largest natural gas producer. By deliberately restricting exports, [...]
Felixstowe dock workers begin eight-day strike over pay August 21, 2022 Dock workers gathered at a picket line at the UK’s largest port today as they commenced their first of eight days of planned strike action. Around 1,900 members of Unite at Felixstowe began their walk out today in a dispute over pay. It is the first strike to hit the port since 1989. The Felixstowe [...]
B&Q owner Kingfisher downgraded to ‘sell’ by UBS August 15, 2022 B&Q owner Kingfisher has been downgraded to ‘sell’ by UBS after the bank predicted the international home-improvement company will be hit by a slump in consumer spending and lose market share in the UK. The Swiss lender said that spending was slowing compared with the high demand the sector experienced during the pandemic. The bank [...]
BNPL firms welcome UK government plans to regulate the sector June 20, 2022 Buy-now pay-later (BNPL) firms today welcomed the UK government’s long-awaited plans to regulate the sector amid concerns that more people are turning to such services as the cost of living rises. Under plans announced today, the government said that BNPL firms – which provide shoppers with short-term interest-free credit to delay paying for goods – [...]
Mercedes-Benz announces global recall of nearly one million vehicles June 5, 2022 German car maker Mercedes-Benz has announced a global recall of nearly one million older cars due to problems with their braking systems. “Mercedes-Benz AG has determined that on certain vehicles of the ML, GL, and R-Class series from the production period 2004 – 2015, the function of the brake booster might be affected by advanced [...]