Chancellor Rachel Reeves has reinforced the government’s stance on urging the UK’s financial regulators to actively promote the growth and competitiveness of the City of London. Speaking during her North American tour, Reeves reiterated her support for the introduction of a secondary objective for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), […]
Over 17,000 shops across the UK could face closure in the next decade unless the Labour government takes urgent action to reform the business rates system, according to warnings from Simon Roberts, CEO of Sainsbury’s, and Paddy Lillis, General Secretary of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw). In an article published by […]
In a significant policy shift, the UK government has cancelled £1.3 billion in funding earmarked for artificial intelligence (AI) and technology research and development, as part of broader efforts to stabilise the economy. The funding, initially promised by the previous Conservative government, was intended to bolster the UK’s position as a global tech leader but […]
A recent survey has revealed that nearly half (42%) of SMEs across the UK are unaware of the forthcoming ‘Simpler Recycling’ reforms, which are set to significantly impact their operations. The reforms, announced by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) in October 2023, aim to standardise recycling practices nationwide, ensuring consistent recycling […]
Ocado is pioneering a trial offering everyday items like pasta, rice, and washing liquid in refillable packaging, a first for an online supermarket. The initiative will test a reusable vessel for food and laundry products at no extra cost to customers. This month, the first phase begins with 2kg packs of basmati rice and 1kg […]
Businesses in London could soon face the prospect of buying or renting homes for their employees to prevent losing them, as the UK government is warned to avoid replicating the housing crisis seen in Ireland. This caution comes from leading audit, tax, and business advisory firm Blick Rothenberg. Heather Powell, Head of Property at Blick […]
A recent SME insights report by Dojo, a specialist in card payments for independent and enterprise businesses, has issued a stark warning: an estimated 110,940 UK SMEs are at risk of going bust due to having no cash reserves to support business operations. The report found that 2% of surveyed SMEs lack any cash reserve, […]
Goalhanger, the UK’s largest independent podcast company, has announced record-breaking downloads and views from May to July, driven by heightened global interest in its shows “The Rest Is Politics” and “The Rest Is Football.” From May 22nd to July 5th, “The Rest Is Politics” and its companion show, “Leading”, hosted by Alastair Campbell and Rory […]
Royal Mail is set to enhance its parcel locker network through a strategic partnership with Yeep! and plans to introduce its own proprietary network next year. This expansion aims to bolster its presence in the rapidly growing out-of-home parcels market, driven by the surge in online shopping. Starting January, the collaboration with Yeep! will provide […]
The Demos think tank has called on the Labour government to boost public investment by £27 billion to attract private sector capital and revitalise economic growth. The UK currently lags behind other G7 nations in terms of private investment, with British businesses investing significantly less than their French and German counterparts. According to Demos, UK […]