Liz Truss is right to hit the brakes – HS2 would put us all on the train to nowhere April 12, 2019 The bogeyman of politics may be ousted for good, if the chief secretary to the Treasury has anything to say about it. I’m not referring to our Halloween Brexit, but rather High-Speed 2 – a follow-on from the first high-speed rail project, mapping a fast route from London to Birmingham, with branches to Manchester and Leeds [...]
Topshop billionaire Sir Philip Green slammed over potential pensions row as US investor backs out April 10, 2019 Sir Philip Green’s troubles escalated this morning as an influential parliamentary chair hit out at the billionaire tycoon and news emerged of a top US backer pulling out of his retail empire. The Topshop owner has been accused of being up to “old tricks again” by Frank Field, chair of the Work and Pensions Select [...]
AT&T denies reports it is exploring sale of Game of Thrones producer HBO Europe April 10, 2019 US telecoms giant AT&T has denied reports it is exploring the sale of HBO’s European division in a bid to slash its $170bn (£130bn) debt pile. A Financial Times report stated executives have held internal discussions over the possible sale of HBO Europe, which produces hit TV series Game of Thrones, but have not yet held meetings with potential [...]
British American Tobacco calls in headhunters as chairman prepares to step down April 9, 2019 The chairman of British American Tobacco (BAT) is set to step down as changes to financial regulations mean he can no longer serve on the board. Richard Burrows, who has chaired the firm since 2009, is the latest victim of new City rules meaning directors can no longer be considered independent after nine years. Read [...]
Debenhams shares fall into the red as investors eye deadline for Sports Direct offer April 8, 2019 Debenhams shares dipped five per cent in early afternoon trading today, falling from a 15 per cent rise this morning as the deadline for a pre-pack administration draws near. The embattled department store chain is set to hand ownership to lenders tomorrow if Sports Direct fails to reach an agreement with the retailer by the end [...]
Let’s not let rage become the prevailing story of our nation April 8, 2019 Public morality, but private depravity – a time when keeping up appearances on the outside was very much the order of the day. You have to wonder if Brexit has turned this Victorian attitude decisively on its head. No one watching the daily media scrum on College Green could argue that today’s national conversation is [...]
Murdoch waits for verdict on The Times and The Sunday Times merger April 7, 2019 Media mogul Rupert Murdoch will this week receive the government’s verdict on a planned merger of The Times and The Sunday Times. Earlier this year News UK, which controls the two newspapers, filed an application to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to overturn a law that forces the group to keep [...]
Army launches investigation into video showing soldiers using Jeremy Corbyn picture for target practice April 3, 2019 The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has launched an investigation after footage emerged showing British soldiers firing at a poster of Jeremy Corbyn. The video, first reported by Sky News, shows four soldiers firing weapons into the distance, and later pans round to show a poster of the Labour leader being used as the target. A [...]
The European Union is on the backfoot, but few seem to notice April 2, 2019 There is a very bad habit that many of our broadcasters have of focusing on what might befall us. It reminds me of Frankie Howerd in Up Pompeii bemoaning “woe is me, woe is me” – as if he might warn his master against leaving the Empire without a deal. It would be refreshing were there [...]
BBC takes control of UKTV channels as Discovery lines up new streaming service April 1, 2019 The BBC will take control of UKTV channels as part of a deal with Discovery that will also see the launch of a new on-demand video service for BBC nature programmes. BBC Studios – the broadcaster’s commercial arm – jointly owns UKTV with US media giant Discovery. Read more: BBC removes podcasts from rival Google [...]