Negative interest rates could spell the end of free banking, experts warned after the Bank of England gave its clearest indication yet that the controversial policy could be introduced. The Bank has written to UK lenders’ chief executives asking them to set out their readiness for negative rates, raising the prospect of an unprecedented move below zero as the recovery begins […]
put
How Alok Sharma can put Britain on course to reach net zero emissions in a post-Covid world
Ministers can rightly toast success in cutting carbon emissions from making electricity. Coal, which generated 70pc of UK electricity in 1990, is almost out of the picture, while wind, solar and hydropower generated 26.5pc of electricity in 2019. But the next steps, cutting emissions from transport and heating, are arguably […]
New restrictions put recovery under threat
“The Government might have no choice but to resort to ordering businesses to close across the UK again,” says Samuel Tombs at Pantheon Macro. He says shops were not shown to be “major incubators for the virus”, but notes cases only started to rise when pubs, restaurants and other consumer […]
1st certified brand safety officers quickly put to the test
When the first class of certified brand safety officers graduated from the Brand Safety Institute (BSI) in late May, the experts’ skills were quickly put to the test by a marketing landscape facing disruption from an ongoing pandemic and an eruption of racial justice protests following the killing of George […]
Vaccine success set to put AstraZeneca in pole position
Andrew Baum, a healthcare analyst at Citi, believes that any future financial returns on a successful vaccine is unlikely to move the dial for a behemoth such as AstraZeneca, which is both the UK’s biggest drugs firm and the most valuable company on the FTSE with a £117bn market cap. […]
Subsidy cut to put rail on track for state control
Negotiations have been further hampered by the Government rejecting industry proposals for operators to be incentivised to cut costs, sources said. A Government-sanctioned review of the railways by Keith Williams, the former British Airways boss, billed as the most comprehensive analysis since privatisation, “may not see the light of day,” […]
John Lewis, Boots and Burger King closures put 7,000 jobs under threat
John Lewis will also close shops at Heathrow airport and St Pancras station and four At Home outlets in Croydon, Newbury, Swindon and Tamworth. Chairman Dame Sharon White said closing the stores, which were already in trouble before the lockdown, were necessary to help secure the Partnership’s future. However, the […]
Straight-talking Amanda Blanc looks to put wind in Aviva’s sails
The firm could be separated into life and non-life divisions, or UK and international, for example. Significant divestments could offer a solution without a formal breakup. Blanc says she will consider all options, including investing where she sees opportunities for growth. A split may not be the panacea that some […]
Europe’s double standards on state aid put Britain in a difficult place
For the solvent North, this is not just guilt money, but a way of shoring up a single market increasingly shot through with competitive distortions and trading imbalances. With its love of national champions and its interventionist traditions, France has never been a fan of the “Thatcherite” single market. Nothing […]
Bellway threatens couple who put critical banner up on their home
Bellway has ordered a customer to take down a sign criticising the housebuilder – or face court. Jake and Chloe Wright hoisted a giant banner onto the front of their home in anger at alleged construction problems. It says in large letters, “Buying a Bellway Home was our worse [sic] decision. […]