‘We’ve been lied to’: Hospitality in uproar over business rates overhaul November 28, 2025 A 5p reduction in business rates for hospitality and retail was held up by the Chancellor as a sign the government was listening to their concerns. But – writes Ali Lyon – as business owners calculated what it meant for their bottom line, they discovered that the devil was in the detail. It was supposed [...]
Budget 2025: What exactly is happening with business rates? November 26, 2025 Long-awaited changes to business rates were finally announced in the Budget, with a lower rate for small companies to be paid for by a higher levy for large firms. Retailers have been railing against for business rates for years, with concerns that the tax creates an unfair playing field between high street and online firms, which [...]
Autumn Budget ‘deeply concerning’ for squeezed hospitality industry November 26, 2025 The UK’s hospitality industry has been disappointed by the Autumn Budget, with no cuts to VAT and no changes to National Insurance. Even a cut to business rates has been described as “too little, too little” as well as something likely to get wiped out by an inflation-linked revaluation of rates next year. “This is [...]
UK founders slam Labour as “anti-business” November 20, 2025 UK founders are increasingly losing confidence in Labour’s approach to businesses, as they brace for potential tax rises in the upcoming Autumn Budget. According to the latest survey from entrepreneur network Helm – whose members oversee more than £8bn in annual revenue – over 60 per cent of founders hailed the government as “anti-business” with [...]
Eurotunnel ‘pursuing legal process’ with government over business rates November 20, 2025 The firm behind the Channel Tunnel train will pursue legal action against a UK government agency and pull out of all its future investment in Britain unless plans to triple its business rates bill are aborted. Eurotunnel is poised to scrap its multimillion-pound plans to revive a major freight terminal in east London and cancel [...]
Autumn Budget: BrewDog boss issues £1bn warning to Rachel Reeves November 19, 2025 The hospitality sector needs to sell almost one million extra pints every hour in order to cope with a £1bn cost surge thanks to Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes, the chief executive of BrewDog has warned. James Taylor, who took on the job earlier this year, said Reeves needs to take ‘meaningful action’ because of [...]
Autumn Budget: B&Q boss hands Reeves tool kit for growth November 12, 2025 Ahead of the Autumn Budget, City Reporter Samuel Norman sits down with top industry names for a Budget Briefing. This week, the boss of retail stalwart B&Q warns truly fixing the foundations starts with building confidence. After Labour’s monumental 2024 general election sweep, Chancellor Rachel Reeves seized her economic tool kit, telling Britons she was “fixing [...]
Oxford Instruments shares rally despite early profit disruption November 11, 2025 Manufacturing and research company Oxford Instruments has seen its shares rocket despite a steep fall in profits during the first half of the year. The group’s stock rallied 9.93 per cent in early morning trading to 1,970, as the group confirmed it was beginning to recover from “significant disruption” in the early months of the [...]
Gen Z’s entrepreneurial dreams threatened by lack of support November 10, 2025 Gen Z is leading the country’s entrepreneurial boom, but a lack of professional support could threaten their future as business leaders. Over 80 per cent of 18 to 24 year olds have engaged in a form of entrepreneurial activity, such as selling products online or having a ‘side hustle’ alongside a full time job, according [...]
Retail footfall sinks for sixth straight month as Brits fear Budget taxes November 7, 2025 Footfall at the UK’s shops has declined for the sixth consecutive month, marking another worrying sign for the retail sector. Total activity fell by 0.7 per cent in October, led by drops in shopping centre and retail park footfall, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). BRC chief Helen Dickinson said that nervousness around the [...]