Morrisons publicly supports farmers in a standoff with Sir Keir Starmer’s Government over planned inheritance tax changes on farmland. Protests loom amid fears smaller family farms could be forced to sell land or face crippling tax bills.
Category: News
The latest news affecting small and medium sized (SME) businesses in the UK
Starmer sets out new AI action plan to cement Britain’s global tech dominance
Keir Starmer launches the “AI Opportunities Action Plan” to position Britain as a global AI leader, pledging flexible regulations, major investments, and 13,000 new tech jobs.
Uncertain future for over 2,700 Belfast aerospace jobs as takeover stalls
Fears rise over 2,700 jobs at Spirit Aerosystems’ Belfast factory amid a stalled takeover by Boeing and a partial buyout by Airbus, leaving the future of Northern Ireland’s largest private employer hanging in the balance.
Sterling faces fresh sell-off as soaring borrowing costs could mean Reeves is on borrowed time
Traders are increasingly betting on a significant drop in the pound as concerns mount over the Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s ability to stick to her fiscal targets following a sharp rise in borrowing costs.
JCB postpones 500-job hiring spree as chancellor’s tax hike rattles business confidence
British manufacturing giant JCB has backtracked on plans to convert 500 agency staff to permanent positions, citing “challenging market conditions” in the wake of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s recent tax-raising Budget.
UK SMEs urged to enter Government Export Awards as new categories are added
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is once again inviting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from across the country to compete in its Made in the UK, Sold to the World Awards, with entries open until 9 March.
Bank of England’s plans for Leeds hub stall as only 156 staff show relocation interest
Only 156 Bank of England employees have shown interest in relocating to Leeds, raising questions about how Britain’s central bank will meet its target of 500 staff in the city by 2027.
UK chemicals industry ‘heading for extinction’ warns Jim Ratcliffe
Ineos boss Jim Ratcliffe blames high energy costs and carbon taxes for the closure of his synthetic ethanol plant at Grangemouth, warning that UK chemicals are at risk.
Rachel Reeves’ China visit restores crucial links with world’s second-largest economy
Agreements worth £600 million, potentially adding £1 billion in value to the UK economy, have been secured following Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ trip to Beijing.
Rachel Reeves weighs a ‘hotel tax’ as treasury battles to fill funding gap
Rachel Reeves is considering a UK-wide ‘hotel tax’ amid surging borrowing costs and pressure to protect her fiscal rules, sparking industry backlash.
Chancellor heads to China in search of growth amid surging borrowing costs
Chancellor Rachel Reeves eyes economic opportunities in China while sticking to her strict borrowing limits, as the UK faces rising bond yields and mortgage uncertainties.
Dragons’ Den star Sara Davies retakes Crafter’s Companion reins amid pre-pack rescue
Sara Davies, Dragons’ Den entrepreneur, returns as CEO of Crafter’s Companion through a pre-pack insolvency deal, aiming to save 100 jobs and refocus on core paper crafts.
UK government debt sell-off accelerates as borrowing costs reach post-2008 peak
UK’s 10-year gilt yield hits 4.82%, its highest since the global financial crisis, fuelling inflation concerns and threatening the chancellor’s fiscal targets.
Emma Watson’s gin brand nets £5m as Renais plots global expansion
Renais, the premium gin brand co-founded by actress Emma Watson, has raised £5m to expand into new markets including Dubai, Canada and the US, backed by InvestBev and Maison Villevert.
Food inflation poised to jump above 4% as levies and wage rises weigh on retailers
Britain’s supermarkets brace for a 4.2% surge in food prices this year, warns the BRC, as higher employer NI contributions, wage hikes and packaging levies push costs upward.