Rachel Reeves’ Autumn Budget still causing negativity – CBI July 30, 2025 A streak of negative business sentiment has now lasted 10 months, a leading industry body has suggested, in further evidence that employers have struggled to turn a page on Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ £40bn tax raid at last year’s Autumn Budget. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has repeatedly told MPs that business confidence was edging higher, [...]
UK risks squandering AI investment without urgent action on data centres July 30, 2025 The UK could lose out on billions of pounds in AI investment unless it tackles growing obstacles to data centre development, a new report has warned, as infrastructure experts urge the government to move faster on planning reform and energy policy. The ‘how to make the UK an AI leader’ report, published by techUK, the [...]
UK SMEs paralysed by fear despite ‘sitting on piles of cash’ July 17, 2025 Small-to-medium sized companies in the UK (SMEs) are “paralysed by fear” because of geopolitical uncertainty and a lack of clear economic policy, according to new research. Accounting and advisory group Azets said a large number of SMEs are “sitting on significant piles of cash” but are nevertheless holding back on investment. The warning, issued by [...]
Mark Kleinman: Radical Post Office reform has mutual interest July 17, 2025 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his weekly City PM column Radical Post Office reform has mutual interest Talk about a pregnant pause: it’s nine months since I reported that ministers had asked the consulting firm BCG to explore options for transferring the Post Office into mutual [...]
Swatch: Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes could see profit fall further July 16, 2025 Swiss watch brand Swatch has warned its UK profit could continue to shrink as a result of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes. The business has said the increase in employer’s National Insurance contributions – which were announced in October 2024 and came into effect in April this year – will increase operational costs. Swatch added [...]
Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes are driving wealthy overseas investors to flee London July 14, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes have had the “feared impact” of driving wealthy overseas investors to flee London to escape double taxation of their worldwide income, the company behind The Shard has said. Real Estate Management (UK), which is ultimately owned by the State of Qatar, has revealed the exodus has resulted in it being [...]
London hiring plunges as Rachel Reeves’ tax grab weighs July 14, 2025 London hiring has suffered a steep drop as rising costs weigh on employers following Rachel Reeves’ tax grab. Permanent staff places in the capital – hires with no fixed end date – fell at the sharpest rate in 22 months in June. Meanwhile, temporary bills, which track the total income recruitment agencies earn from placing [...]
Wilkin & Sons: King’s jam maker returns to profit despite Reeves’ tax hikes July 11, 2025 Wilkin & Sons, the historic jams maker which supplies King Charles, has returned to profit despite the “significant strain” Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget put on its finances. The Essex-headquartered business, which is behind the Tiptree brand, said the “continued increased in National Minimum Wage” impacted its bottom line while high energy costs also hit its [...]
Reeves warned ‘undermining cash ISAs a serious mistake’ July 9, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been warned that “undermining” cash ISAs would be a “serious mistake” and could hike the cost of mortgages and make them harder to access. Skipton Building Society has joined the chorus of institutions voicing their concerns ahead of the Chancellor’s Mansion House speech next week where she is expected to announce a [...]
Rachel Reeves warned cash ISA reforms will hike mortgage costs July 7, 2025 Rachel Reeves’ plans to cut the cash ISA limit have been blasted by the bosses of Britain’s top building societies over fears they will hike borrowing costs. The Chancellor has been warned her proposals to slash savers’ annual cash ISA allowance from the existing tax-free threshold will drive up costs for homeowners and businesses. Concerns [...]
