PRESS DIGEST- British Business - Feb 9

Feb 9 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the business pages of British newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

The Times

Energy suppliers to face tough new finance tests

New energy suppliers could face strict financial checks and existing companies could be subjected to stress tests, under a regulatory shake-up being considered by Ofgem. http://bit.ly/2llPSVs

McLaren races into Sheffield

McLaren Automotive, the Surrey-based supercar maker and sister company to the Formula One team, is opening a factory in the industrial north. http://bit.ly/2lm6bBF

The Guardian

Trump envoy says Greece is now more likely to leave the euro

Donald Trump's administration has put itself on a fresh collision course with the European Union after the president's candidate to be ambassador in Brussels said Greece should leave the euro and predicted the single currency would not survive more than 18 months in its present form. http://bit.ly/2llQ9aW

Hundreds of Waitrose jobs may go as retailer plans six store closures

Waitrose is planning to close six stores and remove a level of management in its supermarkets, putting 600 jobs at risk. http://bit.ly/2lm5w3i

The Telegraph

Property developer brothers accused of threatening business partner with selling debt to Russian gangsters

Property developers Nick and Christian Candy have been accused of threatening the pregnant wife of a former university friend and warning they would sell his debt to Russian gangsters, a court in London heard on Wednesday. http://bit.ly/2lm7eBH

Mervyn King: MPs' attitude made Brexit inevitable

British politicians have "lost touch" with voters and elitist bids to suppress the EU debate made the referendum on membership that led to the Brexit vote "inevitable", Mervyn King said. http://bit.ly/2lm4dkC

Sky News

Walmart to help Asda mount market share fightback

A top executive at Asda's parent company has pledged greater support to the chain's recovery efforts after admitting it was slow to respond to the challenge posed by discounters in the UK. http://bit.ly/2lmb1P8

GSK boss seeks 'sensible' Brexit deal on migrant workers

The chief executive of the UK's biggest pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, has told Sky News that Britain needs to be "open minded and sensible" about allowing skilled workers to come from abroad.

The Independent

Government accused of trying to kill off UK solar industry before it can become cheapest form of electricity

The Government has been accused of trying to kill off Britain's solar energy industry just as it is about to become one of the cheapest suppliers of electricity - with no need for any kind of state subsidy. http://ind.pn/2lm570u (Compiled by Shalini Nagarajan in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra Maler; Editing by Sandra Maler)