Here are the business stories making the headlines locally and across the country this morning.
Ex-Labour council chief says party’s message in government is ‘DROP DEAD, Aberdeen’
The ex-Labour leader of Aberdeen City Council lashed out at his former party for its oil and gas tax plans saying the message is “drop dead, Aberdeen”.
Independent councillor Barney Crockett says Labour has “nothing to offer” when it comes to protecting North Sea oil and gas jobs.
His fury comes after new Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced she would increase the windfall tax on oil and gas firms to 38%, bringing the headline rate of tax on upstream oil and gas activities to 78%.
The end date for the change has been extended for a year to March 2030 and “unjustifiably generous” investment allowances” have been removed.
Aberdeen accountant bringing 750-space car park at airport back to life years after closure during Covid
An Aberdeen accountant has brought a 750-space car park at the airport back to life – as he aims to shake up the market by offering a new concept to a growing number of flyers.
David Milne, 53, says he has crunched the numbers, and realised he can offer a service with “door-to-door transfer, total security, and cheaper than the rest”.
The site is just up the road from Cairn Industrial Estate, and was previously operated by Aberdeen Airpark, who closed down just as the pandemic struck.
But David feels there is now a gap in Aberdeen Airport parking, and he hopes his “£1 a day” promotion can fill up his 750 spaces in no time.
British billionaire charged with corruption over role in bribery scandal
A British billionaire who held a top role at the mining giant Glencore has been charged with conspiring to pay bribes in Africa along with four ex-colleagues.
Alex Beard was one of the original members of the “billionaire boy’s club” who earned significant fortunes from Glencore’s stock market listing in 2011.
He ran the company’s oil business from a desk in London between 2007 and 2019, and is currently worth around $2bn (£1.6bn), according to Forbes.
But on Thursday, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) said it was charging Beard with making corrupt payments “to benefit Glencore’s oil operations in West Africa”.
Apple beats Wall Street forecasts despite iPhone slide
Apple beat sales expectations on Wall Street in the last quarter as rising demand for its iPads and Macbooks offset a decline in iPhone sales.
The world’s most valuable public company, with a stock market valuation of more than $3tn, reported total revenue of $85.8bn for the three months to the end of June, ahead of forecasts of $84.4bn
The revenue represented a 4.9 increase on the previous year.
Sales generated by the iPhone, which typically amount to about half the company’s business, fell by 0.9% to $39.3bn under pressure from weak consumer sentiment and competition in China.
Sir Paul Marshall set to buy The Spectator
Sir Paul Marshall, the hedge fund boss who owns a stake in GB News, is in advanced negotiations to acquire The Spectator as part of the auction for the assets of Telegraph Media Group.
Marshall’s Old Queen Street Ventures vehicle, the holding company for assets including Unherd, a news and opinion website, is leading the race to acquire the title.
The auction was launched by RedBird IMI, the Abu Dhabi state-backed vehicle that struck a deal this year to take control of the Daily and Sunday Telegraph titles, as well as The Spectator.
RedBird IMI’s plans were blocked, however, by government intervention amid a backlash over the prospect of a foreign state owning prominent national newspapers.