Group hits Shein with labour abuse dossier ahead of Select Committee January 6, 2025 Shein has been provided with a dossier of evidence alleging supply chain abuses ahead of its appearance before a Select Committee on Tuesday.
Keir Starmer hits back at Elon Musk on grooming gang claims January 6, 2025 Keir Starmer has hit back at Elon Musk today after a series of attacks from the Tesla tycoon over the government’s handling of historic ‘grooming gang’ sex abuse cases. In a press conference today, Starmer said an online debate about child sexual exploitation gangs was based on “lies” and those fanning the flames were not [...]
Renais: Gin brand co-founded by Harry Potter star Emma Watson raises £5m January 6, 2025 The luxury gin brand co-founded by Harry Potter star Emma Watson and her brother has raised almost £5m. Renais Gin, which was launched in May 2023, has secured £4.95m on the back of expanding into the US last year. The spirit is now sold in 11 countries while the company has distribution deals agreed with [...]
UK firms shed jobs at fastest rate in three years amid payroll hikes January 6, 2025 Weak demand and higher payroll costs have led to the steepest decline in service sector jobs since January 2021, according to a new survey. Nearly a quarter of survey respondents reported a fall in workforce levels, while 12 per cent signalled a rise, data from the S&P Global UK Services PMI showed. “Service providers widely [...]
Lloyd’s of London insurer snubs the City with New York IPO plans January 6, 2025 A Lloyd’s of London insurer has dealt a fresh blow to the City by snubbing the London Stock Exchange in favour of New York for its planned IPO, piling fresh pressure on the capital’s bourse after it shrank at the fastest pace on record last year. Aspen Insurance, an underwriting firm which operates out of [...]
Premier League betting wins force Stanleybet into the red January 6, 2025 Betters winning big on Premier League football match results contributed to Stanleybet entering the red, it has been revealed. The Liverpool-headquartered company said a “sustained period of player-friendly sports results”, from the start of the 2023/24 football season, impacted its finances alongside online promotional activity. It added that Stanleybet was one of a number of [...]
UK funding for AI startups surges but still lags behind US January 6, 2025 AI startups captured 25 per cent of all UK venture capital funding in 2024, totalling $15.9bn (£12.8bn) – a sharp rise from $3.1bn (£2.5bn) four years ago. Balderton Capital’s latest data shows that 2024 was the second best year on record for AI investment in the UK. The sector’s value has more than doubled in [...]
Buy IAG and sell Wizz Air says broker as British Airways takes off January 6, 2025 Analysts have backed British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) while warning investors away from budget airline Wizz Air in 2025. Panmure Liberum analysts picked IAG shares as their ‘most preferred’ stock within transport, with a target price of 500p compared to its current 287p share price. IAG was the best performing FTSE 100 [...]
H Samuel and Ernest Jones owner cuts loss despite £40m sales hit January 6, 2025 The company behind high street jewellers H Samuel and Ernest Jones significantly cut its loss despite sales falling by almost £40m during its latest financial year. The Birmingham-headquartered business has reported a pre-tax loss of £483,000 for the year to 3 February, 2024, down from the £8.9m loss it posted in its prior 12 months. [...]
Brits buy 50m Aldi mince pies as budget grocer hails ‘best Christmas ever’ January 6, 2025 Aldi has recorded its best festive season ever in 2024, with sales topping £1.6bn in the month before Christmas. Sales at the grocer grew 3.4 per cent year on year, while its seasonal offering rose 10 per cent and its premium range jumped by 12 per cent compared to 2023. Aldi UK’s chief executive officer, [...]