Private sector pay growth fell below 3% for the first time since 2020 as smaller firms froze hiring. What the latest ONS labour data means for SMEs.
Category: News
The latest news affecting small and medium sized (SME) businesses in the UK
Heathrow to central London in 8 minutes as Virgin signs air taxi deal
An eight-minute hop from Heathrow to central London and a quarter of an hour from Manchester Airport to Leeds.
More jets, less money: Farnborough day two value falls 34 per cent
Farnborough day two brought 82 firm aircraft orders and £2.6bn for UK aerospace, yet deal value fell 34 per cent. What suppliers should read into it.
MPs: scrap employer NI for under-25s or lose a generation
MPs urge ministers to scrap employer National Insurance for all under-25s, warning the 15 per cent charge is pricing young workers out of SME jobs.
Inflation falls to 2.6% but SMEs shouldn’t spend the dividend
UK inflation fell to 2.6% in June as fuel prices dropped, but oil is up a fifth since. What the figures mean for SME costs and borrowing.
Defence stocks jump on Healey, then No 10 hedges on the 3% pledge
Defence stocks rallied on John Healey’s move to No 11, but the 3% pledge went unconfirmed. What the new chancellor means for SME defence suppliers.
Farnborough opens with $48.8bn in orders and £7.7bn for UK industry
Farnborough Airshow 2026 opened with $48.8bn in orders and £7.7bn of work for UK aerospace. What day one’s blockbuster deals mean for UK suppliers.
Iceland boss quits No 10 job: ‘damn hard to get anything done’
The businessman brought in to fix Britain’s cost of living crisis has quit, declaring it “damn hard to get anything done” in Whitehall, the day before Andy Burnham sets out measures to give families more “breathing space” on rising bills.
Burnham scraps VAT on electricity bills but most firms miss out
Andy Burnham’s VAT cut on electricity bills takes £45 off the October Ofgem price cap. We explain which small businesses qualify and who misses out.
Borrowing beats forecasts at last, handing Healey an early win
UK borrowing fell to £16bn in June 2026, below OBR forecasts, handing chancellor John Healey an early win. What the figures mean for SMEs and the Budget.
Reynolds returns to a beefed-up business brief as Burnham axes DSIT
Jonathan Reynolds returns as business secretary with science added to his brief as Burnham scraps DSIT. What the shake-up means for UK SMEs and founders.
Defence rebel Healey handed No 11 in Burnham’s shock first move
John Healey is Andy Burnham’s shock pick as chancellor. What his arrival at No 11 means for UK SMEs on tax, energy costs, fiscal rules and growth.
Burnham calls Trump as Labour’s North Sea drilling ban wobbles
Andy Burnham has used one of his first acts as Prime Minister to speak to Donald Trump, Downing Street has confirmed, as speculation mounts that Labour’s block on fresh North Sea oil and gas operations could be about to soften. For the thousands of UK firms in the offshore supply chain, the stakes are anything but abstract.
Liz Kendall exits government as her tech department faces the axe
Liz Kendall departs as Technology Secretary in Andy Burnham’s reshuffle, leaving SMEs to weigh the future of Sovereign AI, DSIT and the under-16 ban.
Peter Kyle sacked, leaving SME late payment law without its champion
Peter Kyle has been sacked as business secretary in Andy Burnham’s reshuffle. What his exit means for SMEs and the 60-day late payment bill in parliament.
