Tesla sales jump 84% in Europe as electric vehicles now account for more than one in five new cars registered. Germany overtakes UK on EV penetration.
Category: News
The latest news affecting small and medium sized (SME) businesses in the UK
Ryan Giggs nurses £100,000 loss as Manchester restaurant venture collapses owing creditors more than £560,000
Former Manchester United captain Ryan Giggs is £99,925 out of pocket after his restaurant George’s Dining Room and Bar folded owing creditors £563,600, with HMRC, staff and lenders all left empty-handed.
British Business Bank anchors Northern Gritstone’s £20m rolling close as northern deeptech push gathers pace
British Business Bank commits £10m as cornerstone investor in Northern Gritstone’s £20m rolling close, lifting the VC firm’s permanent capital to £382m to back Northern deeptech and life sciences spinouts.
Luxury Marketing in Italy: What Has Changed and How to Communicate with a High-End Audience
The luxury market in Italy continues to serve as a global benchmark, thanks to a unique combination of tradition, craftsmanship, and innovation.
Mobile operators warn of signal rationing as energy costs spiral
UK mobile operators VodafoneThree, Virgin Media O2 and EE warn they may ration signal access and introduce surge pricing after being excluded from Rachel Reeves’s energy support scheme.
Royal Mail commits £500m to fix delivery failures as Kretinsky era takes shape
Royal Mail unveils a £500m, five-year plan to tackle late deliveries, scrap Saturday second-class post and shift 6,000 part-time staff to full-time hours.
Inflation climbs to 3.3% as middle east conflict drives up fuel bills for Britain’s SMEs
UK inflation jumped to 3.3% in March 2026 as the Middle East conflict drove petrol, diesel and air fares higher. What it means for SMEs, interest rates and the Bank of England.
Rolls-Royce tops the list as Britain’s trade mark register turns 150
Rolls-Royce has been crowned the nation’s most iconic trade mark in a public poll marking 150 years since Britain became one of the first countries in the world to formalise the protection of brands, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has announced.
HMRC appeals tribunal ruling that would slash VAT on public EV chargers to 5%
HMRC to appeal tribunal ruling that public EV charging should attract 5% VAT, not 20%. Industry warns decision penalises drivers without driveways and threatens the EV transition.
Reeves tightens windfall tax on renewables as ministers move to sever gas-electricity link
Chancellor Rachel Reeves lifts the electricity generator levy from 45% to 55% as Ed Miliband unveils market reforms. What the renewables windfall tax means for UK SMEs, energy bills and investment.
Barclays and Lloyds join FCA’s second AI sandbox as banks race to prove their tech credentials
Barclays and Lloyds have joined the FCA’s second AI live testing cohort alongside Experian, GoCardless and UBS, as UK banks accelerate their artificial intelligence investment.
Unemployment dip flatters to deceive as SME hiring freezes amid Iran shock
UK unemployment unexpectedly drops to 4.9% in the quarter to February, but vacancies sink to a five-year low and payrolled jobs fall as SMEs feel the squeeze from the £25bn NI hike and the Iran war energy shock.
Brady bows out: West Ham vice-chair ends 16-year tenure as boardroom pressure mounts
Baroness Karren Brady has departed West Ham United after 16 years as vice-chair, ending a near four-decade business partnership with David Sullivan amid sustained fan protests.
Aston Martin takes its 17pc shareholder Geely to court over ‘copycat’ wings logo
Aston Martin is taking legal action against Chinese part-owner Geely over a winged LEVC taxi logo it claims infringes its 1927 emblem — despite Geely’s £245m stake in the British marque.
BADR hike branded a ‘tax-grabbing assault’ as Britain’s founders eye the exit
Founders and advisers warn the latest hike in Business Asset Disposal Relief to 18% is squeezing entrepreneurs and pushing Britain’s homegrown talent abroad.
