The UK is still on course to be the only big wealthy economy to register negative growth this year, despite an upturn in growth prospects, according to new international forecasts. Projections from the Organisation for Economic Coordination and Development (OECD) show that the UK economy will be an outlier among wealthier countries with an annual […]
More than 1,000 Passport Office workers will go on strike for five weeks over a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions, unions say. Members of the Public and Commercial Services union working across England, Scotland and Wales will take part in the action from 3 April to 5 May. The union warned of delays to […]
Jacqueline Gold, the boss of the lingerie and sex toys chain Ann Summers, has died aged 62. The businesswoman died on Thursday evening after seven years of treatment for breast cancer. Ms Gold is credited with transforming the firm from four backstreet shops into a multi-million pound business with outlets across the UK. She was […]
Gold prices continue to rise as investors look for safe haven assets amid fears of further market volatility following Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse and the Swiss government’s emergency loan for Credit Suisse. The precious metal was trading at $1,936 on Friday afternoon, having started the day at $1,921 – reflecting a hefty bump-up over the […]
Airlines including Wizz Air and Ryanair owe millions of pounds to passengers from unpaid refunds and expenses, according to an investigation by the consumer group Which?. It called on the government and regulators to take urgent action over the £4.5m it calculates carriers owe in county court judgments (CCJs), describing the current enforcement of air […]
Rolls-Royce has received funding from the UK Space Agency to develop a nuclear reactor for a moon base. The project will look into how nuclear power could be used to support a future base on the moon for astronauts. Scientists and engineers at the British company are working on the microreactor programme to develop technology […]
Visitor numbers at the UK’s leading attractions are still almost a quarter lower than before the pandemic, thanks to a perfect storm of Covid, Brexit, energy prices and the wider financial crisis, according to the sector’s trade body. Figures published on Friday by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions show that while the number of […]
The chief executive of Royal Mail has been accused of “incompetence or cluelessness” by MPs calling on the regulator Ofcom to investigate whether the company broke legal service requirements. Parliament’s cross-party business, energy and industrial strategy (BEIS) committee has asked the watchdog to investigate a suspected breach of the universal service obligation (USO), which requires […]
Mike Ashely’s Frasers Group has snapped up The Mall in Luton in a £58m deal as the retail giant expresses its “confidence in the future of the UK high street”. The Mall in Luton spans 900,000 sq. ft of space and is home to more than 150 retailers including Primark, TK Maxx, and H&M. It […]
Virgin Orbit has paused its operations and furloughed its workforce as it hunts for a funding lifeline. The satellite launch company, based in California, will put all work on hold for at least a week with just a skeleton team remaining at work. Bosses told employees at an all-staff meeting on Wednesday that the remainder […]