What the Sunday papers said
The Mail on Sunday
THE MAIL picks up on thePublican.com's story last Friday that Spirit Group and Laurel Pub Company are both bidding for the Tom Cobleigh business. Click here to read more on thePublican.com...
Last month parent group Electra sold the Cobleigh tenanted business to brewer Daniel Thwaites for £11.2m. Now Electra is keen to exit Cobleigh entirely with the sale of the remaining 80 managed houses.
On Saturday The Times reported that Spirit Group, backed by Texas Pacific, looked favourite to land the business. Both Spirit and Laurel are keen to acquire pubs.
The Sunday Times
THE £2bn Unique Pub Company transaction was the biggest private-equity deal of 2002, according to the ST's deal track 100. The deal was lead by Cinven and the takeover consortium included Enterprise Inns, Morgan Stanley and Legal & General Ventures.
Other big deals that feature in the list include the £616m Brake Bros takeover by Clayton Dubilier & Rice.
CREDIT card spending is expected to fall in the next three months, with holidays and entertainment worst hit says a survey by investment bank Morgan Stanley. It says women are particularly keen to cut spending.
GORDON BROWN is to reject suggestions that he needs to put up taxes further to stay within his borrowing rules. He will insist this week that the public finances are sound, and that the billions he is pouring into public spending are affordable.
BRITAIN'S charities are facing a funding crisis after suffering huge losses because of big falls in the stock market.
The Sunday Telegraph
THISTLE hotels' bankers, led by Royal Bank of Scotland, have hired Ernst & Young to carry out a review of the business that could lead to sweeping management changes and disposals at the hotel group.
GORDON BROWN will tomorrow attempt to reassure the markets that the economy and the public finances will withstand buffeting from the collapse in equity prices over the past fortnight.
BRITAIN'S golf boom is showing signs of fizzing out as the London Golf Club in Kent, one of Britain's most exclusive clubs, has been put up for sale by its Japanese owners.
The Observer
HEAVY drinkers would be forced into detox treatment or alcohol education courses under Government plans to tackle Britain's alcohol-fuelled yob culture.
Draconian powers in the planned Mental Health Bill, which defines addiction as a psychiatric illnesses, will allow hardened alcoholics to be locked up and compulsorily treated.
Up to 40 per cent of crime is committed by someone under the influence, while related illness costs the NHS £3bn a year.
Experts say that one in 13 men in Britain is dependent on alcohol.
TONY BLAIR is preparing to put the Government's weight behind a determined British campaign for London to host the Olympic Games in 2012. The Prime Minister and senior colleagues have been encouraged to back a bid by growing belief that London would have a good chance.
