A coalition of industrial leaders has launched a last-ditch effort to implore Rishi Sunak not to scale back the HS2 rail line, warning that “constant changes” to the project were damaging Britain’s reputation among overseas investors. The chief executives of China-owned British Steel, American engineering firm Aecom and family-owned construction company Keltbray are among scores […]
In a move that has sent tremors throughout the UK’s financial landscape, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is rumoured to be set to announced plans to abolish inheritance tax (IHT) at the Conservatives Party conference next month. Cutting the levy before eventually abolishing it entirely is one of a raft of crowd-pleasing announcements being considered before […]
The government’s borrowing bill was lower than expected last month as falling inflation and bumper tax revenues helped improve public finances. Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that monthly public sector borrowing in August was £11.6 billion, below the £13 billion forecast by the government’s fiscal watchdog and just above the £11.1 billion […]
Watford is to become the unlikely new home for Batman and Superman after Warner Bros confirmed that it is to go ahead with a huge expansion of its Leavesden film studios. The addition of ten new sound stages and 400,000 sq ft of production and support space will increase the filming capacity of the studios, […]
Insiders have revealed that the HS2 Phase Two project, the high-speed rail line from Birmingham to Manchester, is expected to be cancelled. The announcement could be made as early as next week, marking a significant shift in the UK’s infrastructure plans. The HS2 project, initially intended to link London, the Midlands, and the North of […]
The Bank of England has left its interest rate unchanged at 5.25%, a day after inflation unexpectedly fell by more than expected. The Bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) voted 5-4 – the narrowest possible margin – to leave the cost of borrowing unchanged. Up until the inflation data was released on Wednesday morning, markets had […]
Almost 2,000 more British independent stores were left empty in the first half of this year, as small businesses struggled to cope with rising inflation and the cost of living crisis. The biggest rise in vacancies in at least eight years marks a reversal in fortunes for independent outlets after two years of growth. Small […]
The Confederation of British Industry, one of the UK’s largest business lobby groups, has shelved plans for a tie-up with manufacturing body Make UK, telling members it was “confident” an alternative emergency cash rescue would be found. A call with the CBI president, Brian McBride, and its director general, Rain Newton-Smith, on Wednesday replaced its […]
Sunak declared that he was entering a new phase of his premiership, and that after a year bringing “stability and competence ” into government, he now wanted “to change the direction of the country and build a better future for our children” Now, the first year I’ve had this job, I’ve brought stability and competence […]
In a snap poll commissioned by Business Matters a significant 68% of surveyed SMEs in the UK expressed disagreement with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s alteration of the country’s net zero policy. The research highlighted a growing demand for stability from the government. The change of stance from the Prime Minister has sparked robust debate. The […]