Gatwick blames mega hike in drop-off fee on business rates spike December 12, 2025 Gatwick is set to increase its drop-off fee from £7 to £10, setting the blame squarely on a coming hike in business rates. The new price, which will see Gatwick become the UK’s most expensive airport to drop off passengers, will be implemented from January 6. A spokesperson for the airport said the fee increase [...]
‘Time to worry about recession’ – Bank faces pressure to cut rates as economy shrinks December 12, 2025 The Bank of England is coming under mounting pressure to give a shot in the arm to the ailing UK economy after fresh data revealed it suffered another contraction in October. The central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will meet next Thursday where economists are pencilling a 25 basis point reduction to interest rates taking [...]
Michael Johnson refuses to give up on Grand Slam Track despite bankruptcy December 12, 2025 Michael Johnson insists he won’t give up on Grand Slam Track despite filing for bankruptcy after creditors who are owed millions of dollars rejected an offer of 50 per cent payment. Big-name athletes who took part in the series, such as Britain’s Zharnel Hughes and Matt Hudson-Smith, have been paid only half of their contracted [...]
Nationwide hit with fine after failing to flag Covid furlough fraud December 12, 2025 Nationwide had been slapped with a £44m fine by the City watchdog for failures in its financial crime controls. The building society giant has been blasted by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for missing opportunities to identify fraudulent Covid furlough payments. The FCA said one customer received 24 payments, totalling north of £27m, over 13 [...]
UK on ‘recession watch’ as economy contracts amid Budget chaos December 12, 2025 The UK economy shrank 0.1 per cent in October – the second consecutive month of decline – as businesses paused investments amid consistent speculation about upcoming tax hikes in Rachel Reeves’ second Autumn Budget. The latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) dealt another blow to the Chancellor’s growth agenda as new [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Blow for Reeves as economy shrank ahead of Budget December 12, 2025 Good morning and welcome back to the City PM liveblog. Today fresh economic data has given another crucial assessment of the Chancellor’s growth agenda. The UK economy shrank 0.1 per cent in October as businesses paused investments amid consistent rumours around upcoming tax hikes in Rachel Reeves’ second Autumn Budget. A Bloomberg poll of City economists had predicted the Office [...]
R360 or Ultimate Sevens: Which rugby project would I invest in? December 12, 2025 Everyone is an investment expert these days, with a proposal they say will save rugby and a project that will see a return on that backing. Whether it is the Prem Rugby franchising project, a developing league in the United States or South America, the delayed R360 proposal or the Ultimate Sevens project; there’s an [...]
Runware raises $50M to accelerate AI media generation December 12, 2025 London-based startup Runware has raised $50m in a Series A round led by Dawn Capital, as companies rush to leverage potential productivity gains from AI-powered image, video, and audio tools. Other investors included Speedinvest, Comcast Ventures, and existing backers like Insight Partners, a16z Speedrun, Zero Prime Ventures, and Begin Capital. Founded in 2023 by Flaviu [...]
Public spending fuelled growth spurt ‘no cause for celebration’ December 12, 2025 Labour’s “spend now, tax later” approach to fiscal policy will drive higher growth than previously expected, an industry group has said, but will leave UK public finances in a “vulnerable” position. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) upgraded its growth forecast for next year from 1 per cent to 1.3 per cent, with an extra [...]
‘Petrified’ publicans call on government for urgent support December 12, 2025 Pub chiefs have used an emergency meeting to call on the government to provide urgent tax relief in order to stave off closures and job losses. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has urged Labour to introduce 30 per cent business rates relief for pubs to help protect the future of the beleaguered sector. [...]
