Richard Stone, chief executive of The Share Centre, will leave the business on 18 September after 14 years at the firm to “pursue other interests and opportunities.”

Interactive investor (ii), the flat fee investment platform, has completed its takeover of rival The Share Centre, creating a group with 570,000 customers.

Online consumer investment platform interactive investor (ii) is to buy rival The Share Centre, creating a combined group with 570,000 customers.

With the winner of the Conservative Party leadership election, and the next Prime Minister, due to be announced today research from The Share Centre shows personal investors would prefer for Jeremy Hunt to win.