Vodafone completes £15bn Three mega-merger with major pledge June 2, 2025 FTSE 100 giant Vodafone has vowed to invest as much as £1.3bn in network infrastructure over the next 12 months after completing its blockbuster £15bn merger with British rival Three. The capex commitment is part of a pledge to invest £11bn over the next decade by the combined entity, which will be called VodafoneThree and [...]
CMA handed ‘strategic steer’ as government pushes pro-growth agenda May 15, 2025 The UK’s competition watchdog has been handed a “strategic steer” from Downing Street as the government pushes regulators to adopt its pro-growth agenda. The strategic steer, which is issued to regulators each parliament, sets out the government’s priorities for regulators and how they engage with the private sector. According to the Treasury, the steer “resets [...]
Andy Haldane: Government’s bid to cut red tape ‘has little chance of success’ May 7, 2025 The government’s call for regulators to slash red tape “has little chance of success” unless watchdogs’ mandates are changed in law, according to the Bank of England’s former Chief Economist Andy Haldane. Speaking at the CityAM Awards in London’s Guildhall, Haldane criticised the government’s policy of seeking regulatory reform “via exhortation and press release” [...]
Trainline to take on Labour as shares plunge May 7, 2025 Trainline shares fell nearly eight per cent in early deals on Wednesday despite ticket sales reaching almost £6bn across its platform. The London-listed ticketing app’s stock price has fallen by more than a third this year due to concerns over government plans to launch a rival state-owned service. Trainline said it was taking an “increasingly [...]
CMA chair: ‘The UK desperately needs economic growth’ April 30, 2025 The CMA is evolving but we will always stick firmly to the fundamentals: Protecting UK consumers and promoting competition, says new chair Doug Gurr Today I’m speaking to my fellow chairs at a summit of the UK major regulators. It’s a privilege to be part of the deep collective experience and commitment of that group [...]
Businesses told to watch out as CMA complaints spike ahead of new powers March 26, 2025 Complaints to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have jumped by almost a quarter in the year leading to the watchdog being handed more power. According to research commissioned by law firm Pinsent Masons, concerns raised about competition and consumer law surged by 23 per cent from 4,728 to 5,823 in the year to 30 [...]
The Co-op admits blocking rivals from opening competing stores March 5, 2025 The Co-op has become the latest major UK supermarket to fall foul of a targeted campaign by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to stop the use of ‘unlawful land agreements’ in grocery retailing. The group has admitted to 107 breaches of an order to stop supermarkets imposing restrictions that block rivals from opening competing [...]
CMA boss sacking must signal the end of regulatory overreach February 7, 2025 The CMA has damaged business with its trigger-happy approach to blocking mergers and acquisitions. The appointment of Doug Gurr is a good start, but will a new chairman be enough to turn around an organisation set in its ways? Asks Matthew Lesh In recent years Britain’s competition regulator has enjoyed a surge in taxpayer funding [...]
The Week in Business: is Reeves right to be an optimist? January 31, 2025 Rachel Reeves has been reset, but should we buy into this new optimistic Chancellor?
The Famous Grouse sale to billionaire’s empire on the rocks January 29, 2025 A deal which saw whisky giant The Famous Grouse sold to one of the UK’s richest men is to be investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Drinks business Edrington sold the brand, which been owned by its 1887 Company, to William Grant & Sons in September last year for an undisclosed sum. William Grant & [...]