More than 400 pubs in England and Wales have either shut down or been repurposed over the past year, taking the total number below 39,000 for the first time. Commercial real estate firm Altus Group says 412 public houses were demolished or converted for alternative use in 2024, leaving only 38,989 in operation. The UK’s […]
Businesses failing to support employees undergoing fertility treatment risk high staff turnover and rising sick leave, according to the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). One in seven couples now experience fertility challenges, NHS figures show, prompting calls for formal workplace policies that include flexible working hours, paid time off for treatment, and compassionate leave where necessary. […]
British companies are gearing up for a stronger start to 2025, with fresh data suggesting that the majority expect higher turnover and increased hiring in the new year—welcome news for Labour’s pledge to revive the country’s sluggish economic growth. Surveys from Lloyds and KPMG indicate that 70 per cent of firms anticipate revenue growth in […]
Britain’s petrol station tycoons, Mohsin and Zuber Issa, are weighing up a potential £13 billion listing of their forecourt empire, EG Group, on an American stock market. The move would mark another blow for the London Stock Exchange, which has been hit by a raft of high-profile companies choosing to float abroad. Sources suggest that […]
William Vereker, the chairman of Santander UK and a former business envoy under Theresa May, has attributed Britain’s soaring benefits bill and long-term worklessness to weak numeracy and a poor grasp of financial fundamentals. Speaking against the backdrop of a fast-rising sickness benefit budget, Vereker warned that many people overlook the long-term career gains of […]
The UK’s struggling high street has shed nearly 170,000 retail jobs this year—the biggest annual toll since pandemic lockdowns in 2020—as shops grapple with higher taxes, surging costs and weakening consumer spending. Figures from Altus Group and the Centre for Retail Research (CRR) reveal a 42 per cent jump in job losses compared with 2023, […]