Emma Jones CBE, the renowned founder of Enterprise Nation and one of the UK’s most vocal champions of small businesses, has been appointed as the new small business commissioner. She will take up the role on 23 June, succeeding Liz Barclay, who completes her four-year term at the end of this month. The role of […]
The chief executive of BT Group has warned that the rollout of artificial intelligence across the business could result in further job cuts beyond the 55,000 roles the company has already earmarked for redundancy. In an interview with the Financial Times over the weekend, Allison Kirkby, who took over from former chief executive Philip Jansen […]
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has come under mounting pressure from devolved governments after being accused of underfunding Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the wake of her decision to increase employer national insurance contributions (NICs). The 1.2% rise in NICs for employers on salaries above £5,000, introduced on 6 April, is being covered by the Treasury […]
Metro Bank has received a takeover approach from private equity firm Pollen Street Capital, in a move that may see the high street lender taken private and intensify concerns about the shrinking roster of companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. The approach, made within the past fortnight, has not yet resulted in a formal […]
HM Revenue & Customs is to dramatically cut the number of physical letters it sends, announcing plans to eliminate most outbound post — unless it directly generates revenue — as part of a broader shift to digital-first communications. The move, confirmed as part of Wednesday’s spending review, is expected to reduce HMRC’s post output by […]
Four of the UK’s most influential businesswomen have been awarded damehoods in the King’s Birthday Honours, recognising their outstanding contributions to British industry, innovation and leadership. Emma Bridgewater, the celebrated homeware designer and founder of her eponymous ceramics brand, was honoured for services to ceramics. Since founding her company in 1985, Bridgewater has helped revitalise […]
The second day of the £122 million High Court showdown between PPE Medpro and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) saw intense cross-examination of two key civil servants, exposing contradictions, confusion, and admissions of oversight within the government’s emergency PPE procurement process. Richard James, a Cabinet Office official who worked in the DHSC’s […]
The High Court has ruled against a legal challenge brought by families and private schools seeking to overturn Labour’s new policy applying 20% VAT to private school fees. Judges this morning rejected all claims brought forward in the judicial review, marking a significant defeat for the families of private school pupils, many of whom argued […]
VodafoneThree, the newly merged telecoms giant formed from Vodafone UK and Three, has unveiled plans to invest £11 billion in a nationwide rollout of standalone 5G and ultra-fast broadband, with the aim of reaching 99.95% of the UK population by 2034. The company, now the largest mobile operator in Britain, said the investment will provide […]
Pod Point, one of the UK’s early pioneers in electric vehicle charging, has been acquired by French energy giant EDF for just £10.3 million, marking a dramatic fall from its £352 million valuation when it floated on the London Stock Exchange in 2021. The deal, announced alongside full-year results, sees EDF offer 6.5p per share, […]