Finance firms paid record tax in 2016, Just Eat eyes the FTSE 100, and more trending news

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Britain’s financial services sector paid a record amount in tax last year. Finance companies paid a whopping ￡72.1bn to HMRC, which is 1% more than in 2015 and the highest amount paid since records began a decade ago. A PwC report shows the sector’s contributions account for 11% of all taxes received by the government. Catherine McGuinness, policy chief of the City of London (which commissioned the report) said the data shows just how important the financial services industry is to the UK economy. She also underscored the importance of a Brexit deal that doesn't force these firms to move operations overseas.

Just Eat is expected to join the big guns this week, entering the FTSE 100. The takeaway platform made its debut on the stock market just three years ago, but its share price has soared 43% this year giving it a market value of ￡5.5bn. When the list of nation’s biggest companies (by market cap) is reshuffled tomorrow, Just Eat is expected to kick someone off the billing, with engineer Babcock and Alton Towers owner Merlin most at risk of demotion (paywall).

Two big pharmaceutical firms are investing in new research hubs in the UK, creating nearly 1,000 high-skilled jobs. The Financial Times reports that MSD (known as Merck in North America) plans to develop a ￡1bn research facility in London in the next three years aimed at creating new drugs. Meanwhile, German-based Qiagen is building a Manchester campus, costing hundreds of millions of pounds, to focus on genomics. The announcements come as the government unveils its industrial strategy, setting out plans to boost the UK economy. ￡725m has been earmarked for the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, used to support innovation across various sectors, including construction and healthcare.

4G is coming to the London Underground in 2019. Transport for London announced the success of a 4G trial that took place this summer, in which it partnered with Vodafone, O2, Three and EE to provide phone signal in tunnels on the Waterloo & City line. TfL will soon begin tendering for a service provider to deliver full 4G mobile coverage within the next two years. For now, passengers will have to be incommunicado underground or continue using the wifi available at 260 of the network’s 270 stations.

Get ready for royal wedding mania. It’s official: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are tying the knot next spring. When Prince William wed Catherine Middleton in 2011, the nation received a bonus bank holiday; but unfortunately Downing Street has confirmed we’re not being afforded the same this time around. But the UK economy is expected to experience a lift, with data from the Office of National Statistics showing that the marriage of William and Kate brought an additional 350,000 visitors to the UK in April, year over year. Tourists spent a record ￡17.8bn in 2011 – a 5% increase from 2010.

Idea of the Day: If work isn’t going the way you expected, your body language could be to blame, says best-selling author Bernard Marr. Non-verbal actions communicate 55% of your message – so it’s important to practice.

“Ask a trusted mentor or colleague for honest feedback, practice dialogue in front of the mirror or video yourself to see opportunities you have for improvement.”

What do you think of the new industrial strategy? Share your thoughts on this and all of today’s top stories in the comments.

— Emily Spaven / Share this using #DailyRundown