Ministers will hold a high-level meeting with leading bank executives on Tuesday as pressure mounts on lenders to improve access to credit for small businesses, amid growing fears that the UK’s economic recovery could be held back by underinvestment in the SME sector. Senior figures from HSBC, NatWest and Lloyds will attend the talks to […]
The US economy shrank by 0.3% in the first quarter of 2025, marking its first contraction in over two years, as businesses rushed to import goods ahead of President Trump’s sweeping tariff plans, triggering record trade imbalances and unsettling financial markets. The latest data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) shows the economy […]
UK interest rates are expected to fall at their fastest pace since the 2008 financial crisis, as the Bank of England prepares to respond to mounting global economic headwinds driven by President Trump’s escalating trade war. Economists expect the central bank to begin cutting rates next week, lowering the base rate from 4.5% to 4.25%, […]
Rolls-Royce has become the latest major UK-headquartered company to pull back from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, citing the need to comply with anti-DEI legislation in the United States — a move influenced by growing pressure from President Trump’s White House. The FTSE 100 aerospace and defence group, which employs 43,000 staff globally, has […]
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has resumed shipments of its vehicles to the United States after a near month-long suspension triggered by President Trump’s 25% tariffs on imported cars — a move that underscores the UK carmaker’s tough balancing act in the face of US protectionism. The first shipments since April 7 departed the UK on […]
Dame Mary Archer has been removed from her role as a non-executive board member of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), in a move that has triggered accusations of political bias and intolerance of dissent within Ed Miliband’s department. The 80-year-old energy expert and wife of Conservative peer Lord Archer was summoned […]
The UK’s financial regulator is exploring a ban on using credit cards to buy cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, as part of a wider crackdown on high-risk retail crypto investing. In a discussion paper published on Friday, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) warned that borrowing to invest in cryptoassets could lead consumers into unsustainable debt. The proposed […]
LVMH is cutting 10% of the workforce at its wine and spirits division, Moët Hennessy, as the group contends with slowing luxury demand, rising costs, and mounting global trade tensions. The job cuts, expected to affect around 1,200 staff, will reduce Moët Hennessy’s headcount to pre-pandemic levels, the Financial Times reported. In an internal briefing, […]
NatWest has reported a sharp rise in quarterly profits, delivering a boost to investors and taxpayers alike as the UK government prepares to fully exit its stake in the lender more than 15 years after its financial crisis bailout. The FTSE 100 bank, formerly Royal Bank of Scotland Group, said pre-tax profits rose 36% year-on-year […]
Fast-fashion giant Shein has quietly paused its plans for a high-profile flotation on the London Stock Exchange, following mounting geopolitical pressure from President Trump’s aggressive tariff regime and broader trade tensions with China. The Chinese-founded, Singapore-based retailer has ended contracts with UK corporate communications firms Brunswick and FGS Global, who had been advising on the […]