KATE ANDREWS: OUR GUIDE WHERE TO THE ARE THE BEST LIBERALS FILMS, IN THIS PLAYS ELECTION? & ART P22 P32-33 BUSINESS WITH PERSONALITY FRIDAY 6 DECEMBER 2019 ISSUE 3,516 CITYAM.COM FREE PELOSI HOPES TO BRING TRUMP IMPEACHMENT VOTE BY CHRISTMAS P18 SO,YOU EXPECT ME TO BUY? BOND CAR MAKER ASTON MARTIN’S SHARES JUMP AFTER RUMOURS F1 TYCOON IS PLOTTING MAJOR BID ALEX DANIEL SUV model, the DBX, to the mass market next Martin. Shares debuted at 1,900p last year but @alexmdaniel year. Executives are optimistic that Aston now stand at less than a third of that value, Martin’s recent bad fortune and lacklustre sales following a year of disappointing sales driven SHARES in embattled luxury car maker Aston will be reversed. by a global automotive slowdown and Brexit Martin accelerated yesterday, following reports Aston Martin declined to comment as shares uncertainty. that billionaire Lawrence Stroll is gearing up to rose 18.3 per cent yesterday, taking the share The possible bid came a day after the trailer buy a major stake in the firm. price up to just under 600p. The vehicle maker’s for next year’s James Bond film, No Time To Stroll, the father of Formula 1 driver Lance silence indicated that no formal offer has been Die, was released to the public. and owner of the Racing Point F1 team, is said made, due to stock market requirements on The film is set to feature no less than four to be seeking to lead a consortium which would declaring potential takeover bids. Aston Martins — the DB5 and V8 Saloon, along try to take control of the firm in an The news was first reported by Autocar. with the new DBS Superleggera and Valhalla. opportunistic grab while its shares are near After the car maker suffered a precipitous fall Last month, Aston’s chief executive Andy rock bottom. in value since its glitzy float on the London Palmer said: “A Bond movie is always a boost to It comes as the iconic British brand, favoured Stock Exchange last year, the share price bump us. It very, very clearly helps us in places like by James Bond, prepares to release its first ever could herald a dramatic turnaround for Aston China and the US.” Another US exec forced to exit over colleague romance ANNA MENIN with a colleague without reporting it as the firm in the same year over conduct @annafmenin required by company policy. violations, following the exit of head of He said: “I regret my mistake and I human resources Jeff Smith in July. A SENIOR Blackrock executive is leaving accept responsibility for my actions.” It follows a string of US senior executives the world’s largest asset manager after In a separate memo, Blackrock chief resigning over consensual relationships failing to disclose a consensual executive Larry Fink and chairman Rob with an employee. McDonald’s fired chief relationship with a colleague. Kapito said Wiseman was leaving as a executive Steve Easterbrook in November In an internal memo, Mark Wiseman, result of the violation. following one such relationship, while Intel Blackrock’s global head of active equities, The pair said it is “deeply disappointing” boss Brian Krzanich resigned in June 2018 said he had been romantically involved that two senior executives had departed after the company learned of the violation. FTSE 100 ▼7,137.85 -50.65 FTSE 250 ▲20,707.33 +41.85 DOW ▲27,677.79 +28.01 NASDAQ ▲ 8,570.70 +4.03 £/$ ▲ 1.316 +0.007 £/€ ▲ 1.186 +0.004 €/$▲ 1.110 +0.002 02 NEWS FRIDAY 6 DECEMBER 2019 CITYAM.COM VELOCIRAP-BRRRR Dinosaurs enter the ice age ahead of world famous Dutch Zwolle festival tracing the world’s (frozen) history THE CITY VIEW Tory border policy will need some revisiting HERE has been much discussion of the Tories’ planned Aussie-style points-based immigration system in this Telection. The Conservatives present the issue as a welcome chance to reboot the UK’s border policy once we leave the European Union, and there is much credit to that objective. Theresa May’s ludicrous “tens of thousands” pledge came with her from the Home Office to Downing Street and made little sense in either; ours is an open economy in which immigration is a vital part of providing our economy with the skills we need. What concerns, however, is how this points-based system might actually work in practice. The phrase of this election, when it comes to this thorny topic, is that we would be able to welcome “the best and brightest.” A TYRANNOSAURUS rex and a velociraptor prepare for their opening night at the IJsselhallen in Zwolle, the Netherlands. The Now, there is much to applaud. The commitment to allow those festival, which runs until March, traces a “journey through time” which stretches from prehistory to the evolution of man and on to the Second World War. A team of about 40 professional ice sculptors work on the sculptures for more than two weeks. foreign students who graduate from our universities to stay for longer and begin their lives here, and ditto for the so-called startup visa — whatever that may actually entail — are both Immigration must very welcome indeed. Making work for the Permanent job sure high-skilled people can UK shoppers hold come and stay is a no-brainer. whole economy But a brief stroll around the placements fall City makes it abundantly clear that whatever system is introduced must also allow for out for bargains immigration that is not reliant on university degrees or salary to a decade low thresholds. Our pubs and restaurants wouldn’t survive without JESS CLARK a healthy flow of labour, and agricultural firms are already @jclarkjourno wondering how they will provide the goods that shoppers want JESS CLARK the fact that Black Friday this year fell in the aisles if temporary “picking” labour is shut off completely. @jclarkjourno a week later than in 2018 showed that THE NUMBER of permanent job bricks and mortar sales were up three appointments dropped last month Schools and hospitals will assuredly get some sort of free pass to HIGH street sales plunged the week per cent in November, according to as growth in the demand for staff restrictions, but that will not help outsourcing firms. And before Black Friday as shoppers held the latest research by BDO. fell to a 10-year low due to political whilst some may be transient visitors to the country, many will out for bargains, according to the Retailers reported a bumper Black uncertainty heightened by the latest data released today. Friday this year as shoppers hunted upcoming General Election. stay, build their lives here — running the restaurants they Like-for-like sales fell 17.14 per cent for the best deals. Footfall increased November’s drop in permanent started work in, doing night courses that enable them to move before Black Friday, in one of the 3.3 per cent across the UK, despite pre- appointments stretched the length up the career ladder. Elections are elections, and it doesn’t take worst weekly drops seen since the dictions it would drop 4.4 per cent. of the decline to nine months, the a cynic to suggest that election pledges do not necessarily turn Beast from the East weather storm BDO head of retail and wholesale longest period of contraction since decimated sales in March 2018. Sophie Michael said: “The figures for the financial crisis. However, while into policy. But rhetorically appealing though the “best and Online sales also suffered as con- November are difficult to interpret as permanent placements fell in the brightest” phrase is, it may not work in practice — and plenty of sumers waited for price cuts. Non- a late Black Friday means year-on-year south of England and the midlands, industries will feel the pain. If the Tories do win the election, store like-for-like sales increased 2.8 comparisons are not straight they rose in London and the north. per cent in November from a base of forward... What is abundantly clear, Meanwhile the demand for balancing the needs of the whole economy will be vital to 18.2 per cent last year. however, is just how important the temporary staff remained strong, ensuring our businesses have the people they need to grow. However, in the week leading up to promotional event and heavy with short-term worker billings Black Friday — which fell a week later discounting have become to the growing slightly during the month this year — in-store and non-store sales high street. — in some cases due to a soared 24.05 per cent and 29.1 per “Shoppers simply weren’t willing to reluctance to take on permanent cent respectively, demonstrating the part with their pounds until hefty employees, according to research impact of the discounting event on price-cuts took place, as the steep published today by KPMG and the high street stores. decline the week before Black Recruitment and Employment Follow us on Twitter @cityam Figures adjusted to take account of Friday illustrates.” Confederation. FINANCIAL TIMES THE TIMES THE DAILY TELEGRAPH THE WALL STREET JOURNAL CVC IN TALKS WITH FIFA WHAT THE SURGE IN MULTI-MILLION- BOEING ADMITS IT COULD UNITED AIRLINES CHIEF OVER NEW TOURNAMENT OTHER POUND PROPERTY SALES HALT 737 MAX PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE TO STEP DOWN Buyout group CVC Capital Partners has Wealthy homebuyers are ignoring Boeing could temporarily halt or further United Airlines said its chief executive, held talks with Fifa and Real Madrid PAPERS SAY political uncertainty to snap up million- cut production of its bestselling 737 Max Oscar Munoz, will step down after four- about funding the creation of ambitious pound-plus homes across Britain, airliners as regulators increase scrutiny and-a-half years at the helm, promoting new global football tournaments that THIS according to research for the Times of the jet, the company has confirmed an air travel veteran to continue one will challenge the sport’s most popular which showed that top-end sales rose in a letter to the US Securities & of the industry’s biggest turnarounds.