Britannia Radio

UK business investment falls sharply

The financial squeeze at the nation’s banks is taking a toll on business investment, according to official data which showed a sharp fall in investment in private and public sector manufacturing in the fourth quarter - Feb-24

• Tories see narrower route to banking revival
• ‘Smash and grab’ tax debt fears

Councils face £6bn income drop

Local councils face a £6bn fall in contributions from property companies this year as developers halt work and renegotiate plans in the face of the industry’s worsening crisis - Feb-24

• Editorial Comment: Barker’s wrong tree
• Crisis puts pressure on planning deals

Lloyds makes lending pledge to Darling

The chancellor is set to drop the £480m annual interest on the bank’s taxpayer loan in exchange for a promise to provide billions in extra mortgage funding and loans - Feb-23

Freed detainee says MI5 knew of torture

A British resident freed from the Guantánamo Bay detention centre arrived in London claiming the US arranged his abduction and torture with the complicity of UK agents - Feb-23

UK turns down Deripaska plea for LDV loan

The UK van maker, controlled by Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, is seeking a £30m emergency loan to help fund a management buy-out as it faces the threat of imminent closure - Feb-23

Northern Rock in £14bn home loan push

Losses at Northern Rock totalled £1.4bn for 2008 the Newcastle-based lender revealed on Monday as it unveiled plans to re-enter the mortgage lending market in the UK by making £14bn available to would-be home buyers over the next two years - Feb-23

Modest rise in lending to households and businesses

Lending to households and businesses rebounded slightly in January, with loans for new house purchases and re-mortgages, along with lending to private non-financial companies all higher than in December - Feb-24

BT chairman attacks skills policy

The head of the telecoms group and of Britain’s skills commission brands the government’s scheme to upgrade the expertise of the country’s workforce ‘ridiculous’ in terms of cost and effectiveness - Feb-24

Academy chiefs hit out at education bill

Heads of independent schools complain about the lessening of autonomy and warn that the course of government action is likely to foster ‘failures’ in education policy - Feb-24

Trustee sounds alarm on Royal Mail pensions

The 450,000 members of the UK postal operator’s pension plan face ‘devastating consequences’ if the business is not part-privatised, warns the head of the fund’s trustees - Feb-24