Keir Starmer is dangerously deluded October 1, 2025 The prime minister may have insisted yesterday that wealth creation is “the defining mission of this government” but it certainly wasn’t the defining mission of his speech to the Labour party conference. There were roughly 7,000 words in Keir Starmer’s address to party members in Liverpool, with “business” being uttered just four times – and [...]
Tax hikes push firms to automate jobs, says top UK recruiter October 1, 2025 Tax hikes and wage pressures are putting Brits at risk of losing roles to automation and offshoring, a top UK recruitment firm has warned. Hays has warned Britain is becoming “unattractive to hire people permanently” as employer costs mounted over the last year. “Wage pressures and national insurance changes are pushing employers to explore automation [...]
‘Packaging tax’ to force further price rises October 1, 2025 UK businesses will be forced to pass the vast majority of costs incurred by a new packaging tax onto consumers, in a move that will stoke already rampant food inflation and compound financial pressures on hard-pressed households. According to fresh figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC), retailers plan to pass over 80 per cent [...]
Business confidence ‘plumbs new depths’ ahead of Budget October 1, 2025 Business confidence fell to a fresh record low in September, as fears of another cost squeeze stoked an already dire operating environment that was found to have “worsened across the board”. According to an Institute of Directors (IoD) poll, private sector optimism plunged to the lowest level since the industry body started collecting data a [...]
New green tax labelled ‘own goal’ ahead of Budget September 30, 2025 A new green tax coming into effect this week has been labeled an “own goal” for the Labour government and stoked fears it could lead to prices soaring. The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) levy is designed to increase increasing recycling rates among local authorities, by passing on the costs onto the companies selling the products. [...]
Bank of England’s Breeden says inflation ‘hump’ is transitory September 30, 2025 The Bank of England’s deputy governor has warned keeping interest rates too high could drag inflation below the Bank’s two per cent target in comments that further exposed the divergence that exists among central bank officials over the long-term path of inflation. In a dovish speech delivered at Cardiff Business School, financial stability deputy chief [...]
Reeves to scrap two-child benefit cap September 30, 2025 Rachel Reeves is poised to abolish the two-child benefit cap at next month’s Budget, in a move that will be cheered by anti-poverty campaigners but is likely to stoke bond market fears that the government is unable to reign in runaway spending and borrowing. The Chancellor is said to be exploring a new tapered system [...]
FTSE 100 seals best quarterly rise since 2022 September 30, 2025 The FTSE 100 has net its best quarterly rise since 2022 as the index shrugged off geopolitical tensions to storm to record highs. London’s blue-chip index clawed back morning losses to seal a 0.54 per cent gain at 9350.43. A batch of risers managed to offset losses from market heavyweights. Pest control firm Reckitt and [...]
‘It’s a desert out there’: London sinks to 23rd in IPO venue rankings September 30, 2025 The pace with which London is losing its status as a global financial markets hub has been laid bare after the capital fell to as low as 23rd in a global ranking of IPO destinations. Just £184m was raised on the London Stock Exchange in the first nine months of the year, a far cry from [...]
Trump’s film tariffs could be a real test for the UK’s creative economy September 30, 2025 The UK’s film and television sector is a significant component of the national economy, and its future is now a central topic in transatlantic trade talks. US President Donald Trump has proposed a 100 per cent tariff on films produced outside the United States, a move he says is aimed at reversing what he calls [...]