Even 10 years ago it was impossible to think that Sir Philip Green’s retailing career would be ending in the way it appears to be. The tycoon was the undisputed king of the high street, owner of a vast and profitable retail empire that straddled the BHS department store chain and Arcadia, owner of storied
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Sir Philip Green’s retail empire is facing collapse within days, putting 15,000 jobs at risk and bringing the curtain down on the high street career of one of Britain’s most controversial businessmen. Sky News has learnt that Arcadia Group – which owns TopShop, Burton and Dorothy Perkins – is preparing to appoint administrators from Deloitte
Boris Johnson must commit to weekly reviews of the coronavirus tiers dictating the ability of pubs, restaurants and nightclubs to trade during the remaining months of the coronavirus pandemic, scores of hospitality chefs will warn on Thursday. Sky News has seen an open letter to the prime minister from dozens of bosses – including executives
After four years of politics and prevarication, Brexit is about to become a test of competence rather than conviction. And the heart of the government’s effort to meet it is a Portakabin in a lorry park in Ashford, Kent. It’s one of 45 sites around the country where agents patiently attempt to brief hauliers on
Government secrecy over its new border operating system is hindering the country’s Brexit preparations, according to haulage industry bosses who labelled the process a “complete shambles”. In a letter seen exclusively by Sky News, the Road Haulage Association (RHA) has warned Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove that delays in sharing the new IT software with
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is setting out government spending plans and latest economic forecasts. Here are the main points: £18bn allocated to testing, PPE and vaccines and £3bn for the NHS plus over £2bn for transport arteries open How will the spending review affect you and the country? Sky’s economics editor Ed Conway will answer your
Rishi Sunak must not try to raise taxes in this parliament, the leader of the group of northern Tory MPs has told Sky News. When the chancellor delivers his spending review later, he will also unveil a set of dire forecasts, These are likely to show the lowest growth for 300 years, with a long-term
The EU’s aviation regulator has revealed plans to approve the return of 737 MAX to Europe’s skies within weeks. EASA (the European Union Aviation Safety Agency) has published a proposed airworthiness directive for the aircraft, which has been grounded since March last year after two fatal crashes. The agency is launching a 28-day consultation and
Travellers who arrive in England from countries with high infection rates will be able to shorten their quarantine from 14 days to five if they test negative for coronavirus on the fifth day, the Department of Transport has said. Passengers will have to pay for the tests themselves, and will need to book with one
England’s second national lockdown will be lifted on 2 December when a revised three-tiered system of restrictions will allow shops, gyms and hairdressers to reopen across the country. The prime minister’s “stay at home” instruction to the country will end a week on Wednesday, following a month of tougher national instructions. Under his 56-page COVID
Boris Johnson is hoping to lace his latest COVID crackdown with more good cheer, having saved Christmas by allowing families to meet in a festive bubble. He is unveiling a new blueprint to fight the pandemic that he hopes will not only save lives during the winter but also prevent a Commons revolt by rebel
A former chairman of Centrica is being lined up to lead the AA by the consortium which hopes to agree a £3bn takeover of Britain’s biggest roadside recovery service this week. Sky News has learnt that Rick Haythornthwaite has been approached by Towerbrook Capital Partners and Warburg Pincus about chairing the AA if their joint
The last nine months have been dominated by the health emergency of coronavirus. We’ve stocked up on hand sanitiser and searched for the most comfortable face mask. We’ve become so horribly familiar with the weekly choreography that we know which days of the week have the highest death tolls and when to expect a news
Crossrail, London’s long-delayed £19bn east-to-west rail link, faces being “mothballed” without the release of urgent new government funding, the capital’s transport chief has warned ministers. Sky News has learnt that Andy Byford, the London transport commissioner, wrote to the permanent secretary at the Department for Transport (DfT) this week, seeking £80m of immediate support to
Confidential notes seen by Sky News reveal European Union officials think a Brexit deal is 95% agreed – but show the extent of anxiety over the potential impact if negotiations break down. The notes come from a meeting of the most senior diplomats in Brussels on Friday morning, when they were briefed about the state
Britain’s biggest airport is to furlough its entire senior management team apart from its chief executive and pave the way for more permanent job losses, underlining its pessimism about the aviation industry’s short-term recovery prospects. Sky News has seen emails sent by Heathrow executives on Friday which detail plans for a new voluntary redundancy scheme