Category: News

UK business confidence rose slightly in December, but firms continue to freeze hiring and delay investment, the Institute of Directors warns.

UK pubs and restaurants have cut shift hours by 30% since 2022 as rising wages, taxes and weak demand hit hospitality in 2025.

Farmers block Tesco and Sainsbury’s distribution centres overnight in protest over low farmgate prices and rising production costs.

UK unemployment is forecast to rise to its highest level since 2015 as weak growth, rising employment costs and tax changes hit hiring.

Brighton Palace Pier has been put up for sale after declining profits, highlighting the cost pressures facing UK leisure and hospitality businesses.

HSBC has launched bankruptcy proceedings against Aidan and Howard Barclay after recovering just £1.1m of a £143.5m loan from their collapsed logistics business.

Baroness Michelle Mone can keep £15,000-a-week rental income from a Belgravia mansion despite a £75m asset freeze linked to the £148m PPE Medpro investigation.

China’s BYD is on track to overtake Tesla as the world’s largest electric vehicle seller after reporting sales of more than 2.25 million EVs last year.

Uber and Bolt say London fares will rise after Rachel Reeves closes a VAT loophole used by ride-hailing apps, a move expected to raise £700m a year for the Treasury.

Ikea is prioritising smaller city-centre stores in the UK, moving away from out-of-town megastores as rising business rates reshape retail strategy.

The upmarket fashion retailer LK Bennett is on the brink of collapse for the second time in six years after filing an application to appoint administrators.

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services UK has plunged to a £365m loss after setting aside £424m for the mis-sold car loans scandal, the largest provision disclosed by any carmaker.

More than 360 pubs were demolished or converted in 2025 as rising costs and business rates pressures continue to hit the hospitality sector.

The world’s richest 500 individuals added a record $2.2tn to their wealth in 2025, with just eight billionaires accounting for a quarter of the gains.

Richard Walker, executive chairman of Iceland, says a lack of commercial literacy in government is holding back UK growth and calls for a focus on everyday business realities.