BP North Sea sale: BP is seeking a buyer for its North Sea oil and gas business, with five production hubs and 1,100 staff, after a portfolio review.
Category: News
The latest news affecting small and medium sized (SME) businesses in the UK
York and North Yorkshire secures established status in rural first
York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority has been granted Established Mayoral Strategic Authority status, the first rural mayoral area to hold it.
Petrol hits 160p a litre, highest since Iran war began, says RAC
UK petrol prices have hit their highest level since the Iran war began at 160p a litre, RAC figures show, with diesel forecast to reach 185p in weeks.
LinkedIn adds ‘AI slop’ button as 40% of long posts found AI-written
LinkedIn AI slop button: users can now privately flag posts they suspect are AI-generated, as the platform scraps its own AI ‘enhance your post’ tool.
Sainsbury’s sells Argos for £120m, a decade after paying £1.4bn
Sainsbury’s sells Argos to Swift Partners for at least £120m, a fraction of the £1.4bn it paid in 2016, with completion expected in February 2027.
Lloyds pledges £45bn of new SME lending under Accelerate 2030
Lloyds £13bn digital investment will fund a new smart wallet and £45bn of SME lending, the bank said, as half-year profit rose 23 per cent to £4.3bn.
Digital and tech firms take £11.6bn of £14.4bn UK equity haul
UK equity investment reached £14.4bn in the first half of 2026, up 26 per cent on the second half of 2025, according to Barclays and Beauhurst data.
UK vehicle production falls 7.5% to 385,979 units in first half
UK vehicle production fell 7.5 per cent to 385,979 units in the first half of 2026, SMMT figures show, though output stabilised in the second quarter.
Union prepares tribunal cases over TSB three-day office rule
The TSB office mandate will require about 5,000 staff to attend three days a week from April 2027, with the TBU union preparing Employment Tribunal cases.
Apple launches Klarna device leasing in US from $17.99 a month
Apple Upgrade, a device leasing programme provided by Klarna, launched in the United States on Tuesday with iPhone leases starting at $17.99 a month.
Steph McGovern to host UK’s first Vocational Celebration Day
The UK’s first Vocational Celebration Day takes place on 6 August, days after Andy Burnham set out new technical routes for 14-year-olds in England.
Universal Credit families to get £4,500 apprenticeship bursary
Universal Credit households will receive an apprenticeship bursary of up to £4,500 a year, the government said, as under-25 training becomes free.
Barclays profit up 31% to £3.3bn as TUC demands 35% bank surcharge
Barclays reported second-quarter profits of £3.3bn on Tuesday, up 31 per cent, as the TUC called for the bank surcharge to rise to as much as 35 per cent.
Apple briefly tops $5trn as tech stocks recover from sell-off
Apple briefly passed a $5 trillion valuation on Tuesday, joining Nvidia, as big technology stocks recovered from a sell-off driven by AI and China fears.
Almost half of UK firms plan to raise investment, Lloyds finds
UK business investment: 47 per cent of firms plan to raise spending over the next year, Lloyds research finds, with technology and AI the main target.
