BT slashes workforce as TalkTalk takeover adds to turnaround challenge

• BT said its workforce, including contractors, has shrunk to 90,000 over the past year, delivering £312m in annual savings as it simplifies the business and cuts costs. • The cost-cutting drive helped push pre-tax profits up 12% to £1.1bn in the six months to September, despite revenue growing just 1% to £8.8bn. • The former state monopoly's takeover of TalkTalk adds to the challenge of completing its long-running turnaround.