Heathrow to pay first dividend in five years to new owners February 26, 2025 London Heathrow Airport plans to pay its owners a first dividend in five years after passenger numbers reached record highs in 2024. The West London hub has settled on a payout of £250m over the coming weeks, the first since before the pandemic. Heathrow’s ownership underwent its most significant change in decades in 2024 after [...]
Spring could prove to be an economic washout February 26, 2025 A modest burst of warm weather towards the end of last week may have coaxed the snowdrops and bluebells into life but don’t go dusting off the BBQ, as the cold isn’t done with us yet. Meteorologically speaking, Spring kicks in on 1 March but forecasters say the first month of the new season is [...]
‘Productivity argument’ against family firm tax breaks, IFS director argues February 25, 2025 There is a “productivity argument” against treating family businesses “generously”, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) director has argued, when asked about inheritance tax. Economist Paul Johnson addressed the National Farmers Union (NFU) conference in Westminster on Tuesday, which saw environment secretary Steve Reed’s speech interrupted by farming protestors, as well as NFU president Tom [...]
London Stock Exchange boss: UK needs to change ‘perverse’ view on retail investment February 25, 2025 "We have a regulatory structure that has historically made it easier to buy a riskier product and then hardest to buy the least risky product in the stack, which is perverse," she said.
Higher taxes will force two-thirds of hospitality business to cut jobs February 24, 2025 The hospitality sector will be drastically affected by higher taxes on employees’ wages, a new survey has found. A majority of businesses will reduce employment, while over one in ten have to close at least one site and just under two thirds will cancel investment, according to UKHospitality. The UK’s three core hospitality trade bodies [...]
Jonathan Reynolds relaunches trade deal talks with India February 24, 2025 The UK has relaunched talks on a free trade deal with India, with Jonathan Reynolds in New Delhi to resume negotiations. The business and trade secretary begins refreshed discussions with his Indian counterpart commerce minister Piyush Goyal in the South Asian capital today (Monday, February 24), marking a new phase of negotiations between the world’s [...]
Defence spending: 2.5 per cent of GDP is ‘ambitious,’ minister says February 23, 2025 Raising UK defence spending to 2.5 per cent of national income is “ambitious”, a cabinet minister has insisted as the government faces pressure to increase investment. It comes amid uncertainty over the future of the war in Ukraine, as the US began negotiations with Russia, excluding Kyiv from talks. Education secretary Bridget Phillipson sought to [...]
Payments regulator reportedly could be scrapped as No10 slashes red tape February 23, 2025 The UK’s payments regulator could be scrapped and folded into another regulator as part of efforts by No10 to slash red tape, according to Sky News. Ministers are mulling whether to abolish the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) and amalgamate it into the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the broadcaster has reported. A decision could come within [...]
Economists warn of tax hikes after borrowing blow February 21, 2025 Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that tax receipts fell short of expectations in January due to the sluggish performance of the UK economy.
Are Londoners losing their jobs thanks to Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes? February 21, 2025 Morning Wire’s opinion and features editor, Alys Denby, discusses the ongoing negative impact of Rachel Reeves’ jobs tax and whether rumours of the death of DEI have been exaggerated – plus more.