Retail and construction lead insolvencies as UK firms in ‘perilous position’ June 20, 2025 Wholesale and retail traders and construction firms accounted for nearly a third of all insolvencies seen in the 12 months to April. Data published by the Insolvency Service has pointed to a further concerning trend in the UK economy as the number of companies insolvencies in May grew eight per cent month-on-month. The number of [...]
Government borrowing surges in May to fund Labour’s spending June 20, 2025 Government borrowing in May surged to £17.7bn, official data has shown, reflecting the government’s need for cash to fund Labour’s spending splurge. This represented the second-highest May borrowing figure since records began more than 30 years ago and higher than the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecast. Fresh data published by the Office for National [...]
Ministers set to cut industrial energy prices for British manufacturers June 20, 2025 The government plans to slash industrial energy prices for British manufacturers, enabling them to better compete with key European rivals. Ministers will unveil a multibillion pound package of taxpayer-funded support for the UK’s most energy intensive industries, as part of the government’s industrial strategy on Monday, according to reports. Proposals to make energy prices more [...]
Ed Miliband forced to look again at North Sea oil and gas June 19, 2025 The UK government is mulling over a change to the law to oil and gas projects in the North Sea in a drive to lower energy bills. Michael Shanks, a minister working under energy secretary Ed Miliband, will be visiting Scotland on Thursday with a decision set to be made on the government’s intervention on [...]
Bank of England holds interest rates at 4.25 per cent June 19, 2025 The Bank of England has held interest rates to “squeeze out persistent inflationary pressures” amid tensions between Israel and Iran risking an alarming uptick in energy prices later this year. Officials said high inflation predictions and sticky wage growth figures had led them to opt for interest rates to be kept at 4.25 per cent [...]
Week in Business: Non-dom tax U-turn makes sense but what about the rest of us? June 19, 2025 The Chancellor is scrambling to hang on a few non-doms, but what about the tax bomb dropped on the rest of the country?
The Capitalist: Sexiest Politicians of 2025 List yields shock result June 19, 2025 The sexiest politicians of 2025, Jensen Huang and a day at the races; catch up on the latest gossip in The Capitalist.
Hays: Shares tank after recruiter issues latest profit warning June 19, 2025 Hays has downgraded its annual profit guidance and issued a bleak forecast for the UK’s recruitment market. The London-listed group said it expected pre-exceptional operating profits of around £45m in 2025, well below analyst consensus of £56.4m. Shares tumbled more than 13 per cent in early deals. Firms have been grappling with increases to national [...]
Exclusive: Government admits fossil fuels use is cheaper than net zero technology June 19, 2025 The UK government has quietly admitted that using low-carbon technologies essential to the rapid drive to net zero are more expensive than when fossil fuels are used an energy source, City PM can reveal. Labour ministers are expected to double down on expanding the use of green technologies to lower costs as the Treasury and [...]
Sir James Dyson is right to warn on Labour’s damaging policies June 19, 2025 Sir James Dyson knows a thing or two about how to build a business. In an impassioned piece in The Sun yesterday he reflected on his own entrepreneurial experiences, saying “It took me 5,127 prototypes, each made by hand…I was on the brink of bankruptcy before I found success.” He set out his concerns that [...]