Smaller businesses have been granted a reprieve from new Companies House filing rules that would have forced them to disclose more detailed financial information, as the government halts the rollout over fears it could impose excessive regulatory burdens. The incoming rules, introduced under the previous Conservative government via the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, […]
While Wimbledon’s champions may lift the iconic silverware next weekend, they’ll also be handing a sizeable portion of their record-breaking prize money to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). Analysis by accountancy firm Blick Rothenberg suggests HMRC will collect an estimated £17 million from the £53.5 million prize fund at this year’s tournament — a lucrative […]
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled by Ryanair and EasyJet ahead of a planned French air traffic control (ATC) strike, which is set to cause widespread disruption across European airspace this weekend. Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline by passenger numbers, confirmed it had cancelled 170 flights, while easyJet announced 274 cancellations as France braces for another […]
Amazon’s use of warehouse robots has surged to more than one million, putting them on par with the number of human workers and signalling a pivotal shift in the ecommerce giant’s operations towards AI-driven automation. The milestone, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, marks a turning point in Amazon’s warehouse operations, where automation now […]
Santander has announced a £2.65 billion all-cash deal to acquire TSB from Spanish rival Sabadell, marking another significant move in the wave of UK banking consolidation. The takeover, which is expected to complete in the first quarter of 2026 subject to regulatory approval, will see Santander absorb TSB’s five-million-strong customer base and expand its UK […]
Tech companies including Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Palantir proposed a range of futuristic—and controversial—ideas for managing UK offenders at a closed-door meeting with the justice secretary, it has emerged. According to minutes seen by The Guardian, representatives from over two dozen technology firms met with Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Prisons Minister James Timpson in […]
Senior UK industry figures have issued a stark warning over the government’s new packaging tax, branding it “horrific” and economically damaging. The finalised Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme, published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on Friday, will make producers pay the cost of recycling their packaging from October. Though the […]
The Crown Estate has reported a record £1.1 billion in net revenue profit for the second consecutive year, thanks largely to a surge in offshore windfarm “option fees” paid by developers. However, the King’s property company has warned this windfall will soon pass, with profits expected to “normalise” from 2026. The bumper profits were driven […]
The ninth day of the ongoing High Court trial between PPE Medpro and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) turned attention to the government’s handling of surplus PPE stock—specifically, why no effort was made to repurpose or sell the £122 million-worth of gowns supplied by PPE Medpro. Two expert witnesses, Andrew New for […]
Barclays is back in court this week seeking to overturn a landmark Financial Ombudsman ruling concerning undisclosed commission payments in motor finance—a case that could open the floodgates to hundreds of millions of pounds in compensation claims. The appeal comes after the bank lost a High Court challenge in December, when Mr Justice Kerr dismissed […]