Monday newspaper round-up: Brexit, BHS, WPP, Radley

Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence party, has said a British vote to leave the EU would be the first step in what he hoped would be the disintegration of the bloc. In an interview with the Financial Times, the Eurosceptic MEP’s comments onEurope's future are some of his most hostile to date and emphasise the high stakes in the referendum on June 23. – Financial Times

Jobs growth in Yorkshire and the Humber last year was the highest in the country, making the region the third-fastest growing since 2008. Employment in Yorkshire grew 3.7 per cent, or an extra 91,700 jobs, last year according to research by NatWest. Growth reached 2 per cent Nationwide but in Scotland it was only 0.7 per cent with the oil and gas slowdown taking its toll. – Financial Times

Sir Philip Green has made no new approach to pensions authorities about restructuring the BHS pension scheme, it has emerged, despite claims he was trying to broker a last-minute deal. The retail tycoon, who is due to face a grilling from MPs next week, was said to be “desperately trying” to draw up a restructuring plan that would secure a better deal for pension scheme members than if the scheme was bailed out by the Pension Protection Fund (PPF). – Telegraph

Last week, we heard yet more from the economic establishment about the supposedly “incontrovertible fact” that Brexit would harm the UK economy. And yet again the Remain camp tried to suggest that if the overwhelming majority of economists were in favour of staying in the EU, then it was an open and shut case that we should stay in. – Telegraph

Labour is considering backing the idea of a universal basic income – a radical transformation of the welfare state that would ditch means-tested benefits in favour of a flat-rate payment. John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, who is keen to find policies to match his slogan of a “new economics,” will appear at the launch of a report on the proposal from the leftwing campaign group Compass in the House of Commons on Monday evening. – Guardian

Mike Ashley will go before MPs to “defend the good name” of Sports Direct on Tuesday in a change of plan just days after he said he would defy a parliamentary summons. The billionaire founder of the retail chain has written to the Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) committee to say that he had a change of heart after careful consideration over the weekend. – Guardian

Sir Martin Sorrell is facing a shareholder rebellion over his £70 million pay package as chief executive of WPP, with a significant minority of investors expected to vote against the advertising group’s remuneration report on Wednesday. Two proxy advisory firms, Pirc and ShareSoc, are advising investors in the company to oppose the remuneration report, while another, ISS, is recommending only “qualified support” for the report. – The Times

A company backed by the billionaire Dutch family behind C&A has taken over Radley and secured Don McCarthy, a veteran retailer, as chairman of the fashion brand. In a deal tipped by The Times, Bregal Freshstream will confirm today that it has bought Radley, which is best known for its handbags and scotch terrier motifs, from Exponent Private Equity. – The Times