The chancellor has been handed a further pre-autumn statement boost as official figures this morning showed that the government borrowed £16.9 billion less than expected so far this year. The government borrowed £14.9 billion in October, the second-highest figure for that month since records began in 1993 and above analysts’ expectations, according to the Office […]
London businesses struggling with sales due to the cost-of-living crisis are calling on the government to relax Sunday trading rules in the capital. The Knightsbridge Partnership Business Improvement District (BID) is in favour of longer opening hours, estimating it would generate £300m a year. Liberal Democrat London Assembly members also say the change could increase […]
The shadow chancellor is set to announce a British infrastructure council with some of Britain’s biggest companies as she seeks to make Labour the party of business. Rachel Reeves will host the first meeting of the business council with five leading companies — Lloyds, Santander, HSBC, Fidelity and Phoenix. The council was due to be […]
Shoppers bought less fuel and food in October as they were hit by rising living costs and poor weather, according to official figures. The volume of products sold last month fell by 0.3% to the lowest level since February 2021 when large parts of the UK were in Covid lockdowns. Retail sales had widely been […]
Jeremy Hunt has hinted that Conservative MPs pressing for immediate income tax cuts could be disappointed, as he insisted he would not take any measures in this week’s autumn statement to fuel inflation. In what is likely to cause unease among MPs pressing for a move to shore up the party’s core vote, the chancellor […]
Wowcher, the online retail and experiences platform, has been warned it could face court action unless it changes customer sales practices. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched a review of its operations in March as part of a wider probe into pressure-selling tactics used by retailers online. The investigation, the regulator said, had found […]
The UK energy secretary could be handed powers to fast-track connecting electricity-hungry projects, such as Jaguar Land Rover’s owner Tata’s planned electric battery factory, to the grid, under plans being discussed between government and regulators. Amid concerns about delays of up to 15 years in hooking up large schemes, the Guardian understands the move would […]
The government has announced a £17 million fund to create 2000 scholarships which will focus on AI and data science conversion courses to help support diverse students entering the tech sector. The scholarships aim to help underrepresented groups, including women, black people, individuals with disabilities and those from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. The goal is to […]
The parcel delivery companies that ranked the worst for performance have been revealed, with none of the major firms able to secure a three-star rating. An annual survey by charity Citizens Advice examined the top five delivery companies by parcel volume and measured their performance against criteria including customer service, delivery problems and accessibility needs, […]
Confectionery giant Mars has announced it will buy Hotel Chocolat for £534m to help the UK company expand overseas. Hotel Chocolat said the deal would allow the brand to “grow further and faster”. “We know our brand resonates with consumers overseas, but operational supply chain challenges have held us back,” said Hotel Chocolat chief executive […]