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Directors could soon be banned from running a business and face large fines if they dissolve their companies to avoid paying employees or making required pension contributions. The crackdown is part of government plans to safeguard workers, pensions and small suppliers when a company goes bust. Under the shake-up, bosses will face investigation if they
Royal Mail has been fined £50m for breaking competition law by abusing its dominant position in the postal delivery market. An investigation by the regulator Ofcom found that it discriminated against Whistl, one of its customers and its only major competitor delivering letters. The investigation followed a complaint by Whistl about changes Royal Mail made to its wholesale customers’
Tenants and leaseholders can now access official guidance on their rights when renting their home. The online rental guides, published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, are part of a continuing crackdown on poor practice by a minority of landlords and agents in the private rented and leasehold sectors. The Citizens Advice
Two repairmen were unfairly dismissed even though they had broken the terms of their employment contracts by using company vans for personal journeys. Mr M Genus and Mr M Kelly had worked for more than 20 years for Fortem Solutions Ltd, which provides repair and maintenance services for Birmingham City Council. Fortem received an anonymous
A contractor was liable for delays on a building project even if it was not responsible for all the factors associated with those delays. That was the ruling of the Court of Appeal in a case involving North Midland Building Ltd and Cyden Homes Ltd. The two parties had agreed bespoke amendments to the JCT
The number of corporate insolvencies fell by 12% in the second quarter of this year, according to the Insolvency Service. While the figures are to be welcomed as a much-needed improvement, the trade body R3 fears they may only be a temporary blip in a continuing upward trend. It’s urging business owners not to be
A developer has won the right to build in open countryside despite opposition from the local planning authority. The case involved developer George Barlow and Cheshire East Council. Barlow had applied for planning permission to build 10 houses on open land. The authority failed to make a decision within the prescribed period, so Barlow appealed.
A wealthy businessman has left millions to the charity Oxfam after inserting a common tragedy clause into his will. Richard Cousins died along with his two sons, his fiancé and her daughter when their plane crashed in Australia on New Year’s Eve. Mr Cousins, who was the chief executive of the Compass Group, had made
There has been a huge rise in the number of couples citing “unreasonable behaviour” as grounds for obtaining a quick divorce. Researchers at Oxford University found that the number of divorces granted to wives because of unreasonable behaviour rose from 17% in 1971 to 51% in 2016. The increase was even sharper for husbands, rising
More than 120,000 first-time home buyers have saved a total of £284m because of the cuts to stamp duty introduced last November, according to government figures. The first £300,000 of the price of a property is now exempt from tax for people entering the housing market for the first time. It means that the new