Hospitality bears brunt of job losses since October budget as costs rocket August 25, 2025 Over half of all job losses in the UK since last October’s budget have been in hospitality as the sector struggles under the weight of rising costs, according to new data. Of the 164,641 job losses in the UK since the Budget last October, almost 89,000 have been lost in hospitality. The scale of job losses [...]
Bar boss quits Labour’s hospitality group after tax concerns August 23, 2025 A top boss of a British bar chain has quit a government hospitality taskforce after facing pressure over his criticism of Rachel Reeves’ tax agenda. Alex Reilley, the chairman of Loungers, has exited the Hospitality Sector Council (HSC) after receiving backlash from civil servants for publicly criticising Labour’s economic policies, The Telegraph reported. “I was [...]
UK gilt yields suffer from dwindling investor appetite August 22, 2025 UK gilt yields have gradually moved higher over August, as investor concerns over government borrowing costs and wider economic conditions continue. While daily movements have been small, the monthly performance shows a notable sharp spike in yields, with long-dated gilts in particular recording a steep increase. UK yields are now 1.5 per cent higher than [...]
UK banks carry out sweeping branch closures as customers go digital August 22, 2025 Some of the biggest traditional banks have shut more than one in three of their UK branches over the past five years as they turn away from the high street and dash to bulk up their digital offerings. Data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) shows the number of bank, credit union and building [...]
HMRC set to crack down on pension tax relief August 22, 2025 HMRC is stepping up its scrutiny of pension tax relief claims from higher earners, as part of a broader effort to maximise revenue collection
Job postings fall in ‘summer slowdown’ August 22, 2025 Fewer jobs postings were made in July in signs that a “summer slowdown” will hit the UK economy and test Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ commitment to get more Brits into work. Data provided by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and analytics company Lightcast has shown that there was a 9.2 per cent decrease in the number [...]
Consumer confidence weak but rate cuts offer some reprieve August 22, 2025 The Bank of England’s fleet of interest rate cuts have helped lift consumer confidence in personal finance, a leading survey has suggested, but the prospect of high inflation has left sentiment vulnerable. Bank officials are closely monitoring the effects of looser monetary policy on consumption and confidence levels across the UK. GfK’s flagship consumer confidence survey [...]
From CND to evangelist: Julia Pyke has nuclear ambitions for Sizewell C August 22, 2025 Julia Pyke has fended off judicial reviews and staunch local opposition, and waded through Britain’s unwieldy Treasury ‘Green Book’ process to get Sizewell C commissioned by the government. Now, she tells Ali Lyon, there’s just the small issue of building what will be the UK’s joint-largest power plant. It was in 1980s Lichfield – the [...]
Is scrapping the tax-free pension lump sum a good idea? August 21, 2025 The tax-free pension lump sum has its problems, but is limiting the allowance actually a good idea, asks Daniel Herring.
London tube staff to strike in September in ‘extremely concerning’ move August 21, 2025 London tube staff are set to strike over pay in early September in what industry chiefs have labelled a “damaging scenario” for sluggish growth across the capital. The rail union RMT said on Thursday that rolling strike action would begin on Friday 5 September while Docklands Light Railway staff will strike from 8 September over [...]