Friday newspaper round-up: National Grid, Barclays, Brexit

MPs are calling for National Grid, the company that runs Britain’s electricity system, to be broken up in a radical move they say could transform the UK’s energy supply. Members of the cross-party energy select committee have said they believe that National Grid, which is one of Britain’s 20 biggest companies with a market value of £36bn, faces too many conflicts of interest and should be split up. – Financial Times

Barclays has branded accusations of fraud levelled by financier Amanda Staveley against the bank as “fundamentally misconceived”, court documents show. Ms Staveley is suing the bank for £721m in fees she claims her company PCP Capital Partners is owed for work on Barclays’ £5.8bn fundraising in 2008. – Telegraph

Auditors are chasing a £10bn wave of professional services work that is expected to change hands as a result of long-awaited rules to make accountants more independent of their biggest clients. The EU regulations come into force on Friday, five years after they were proposed, forcing large companies to put their audit contract out to tender at least once every decade, and change provider every 20 years. – Telegraph

A third of businesses in the UK think Brexit would be bad for the economy, according to a poll that also shows company bosses in London and Scotland are most worried about a vote to leave the EU in next week’s referendum. The survey of 3,394 business owners and finance directors found those in the Midlands, east of England and northern England were the most optimistic about Brexit being helpful to the economy. – Guardian

Marks & Spencer is using crowdfunding to back the installation of solar panels on its stores. The retailer is partnering with Energy4All, a not-for-profit group that helps community groups set up energy co-ops, with the aim of raising £1.23m to put panels on nine large stores including Torbay in Devon, Truro in Cornwall and Cheshunt in Hertfordshire. – Guardian

Britain’s reputation as a nation of shopkeepers may be in peril after the number of convenience stores fell sharply in the past year. Fresh figures from the Local Data Company (LDC) show that 300 of the stores in 228 towns closed last year as a result of structural change in the grocery sector and increased competition. – The Times

A For Sale sign linked to Warren Buffett could soon be appearing in your neighbour’s garden after the real estate division of the famous investor’s company Berkshire Hathaway announced plans to move into UK market. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is a national real estate chain that operates solely in the United States using a franchise model that comprises 14,000 agents across 1,200 offices in almost every state in the country. Now the company is setting its sights on the wider world. – The Times