Grocers set for £550m tax reduction over next three years January 3, 2023 UK supermarkets and grocers will benefit from an almost £550 million tax cut over the next three years, according to new analysis. It comes after more than half a million retail properties in England and Wales were revalued as part of a shake-up to the business rates system of property taxes. Analysis of official government [...]
UK set to become next AI superpower says new report November 22, 2022 The UK could be the next big global artificial intelligence superpower as the government leads the way with public sector investment. According to a new independent report carried out by WPI Economics, on behalf of software firm Splunk, the UK is forging ahead of its European rivals in many aspects of how it embeds data and [...]
Over half of businesses confident turnover will rise in the next year despite current stagnant sales April 4, 2023 Most firms have seen no boost to sales this quarter despite rising levels of confidence, a key economic report has revealed, as inflation remains the key concern for business. The British Chamber of Commerce’s (BCC) quarterly economic survey (QES) found in spite of rising optimism, only a third of firms saw sales increase in the [...]
Great British Railways’ creation to take place before next election November 15, 2022 The creation of new rail body Great British Railways continues to drag on, as the legislation will now be tabled before the next general election. Just last month then-transport secretary Anne Marie Trevelyan said GBR would be postponed to the next parliamentary session as the current energy and financial crisis took over the government’s agenda. [...]
What next for Waitrose? Supermarket quits Planet Organic talks after John Lewis fiasco March 29, 2023 Waitrose has pulled out of secret talks to acquire a stake in rival health supermarket Planet Organic. The high-end supermarket, which is part of the John Lewis Partnership, ceased discussions late last week about a possible agreement, according to reports first published in Sky News, Sources told the outlet that the deal would have meant [...]
370,000 small businesses at risk of downsizing and closures next month, warns industry group March 24, 2023 Hundreds of thousands of small businesses are at risk when support for energy bills is slashed next month, warns a leading industry group.
56 per cent of Brits expect Labour leader Keir Starmer to be next PM – with bleak picture for Tories: poll August 25, 2023 A majority of the public expects Sir Keir Starmer to become prime minister, a new poll has found. Some 56% of people told pollster Ipsos UK they thought it was “likely” the Labour leader would succeed Rishi Sunak, with only 28% saying they thought it was unlikely. That figure equals the previous high point for [...]
Rail union RMT extends strike mandate for next six months as hospitality industry urges resolution May 5, 2023 Members of the biggest rail workers’ union have voted to renew their mandate to continue taking industrial action for the next six months in the long-running dispute over pay and conditions. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said there was an overwhelming vote in favour. Unions involved in disputes have to re-ballot their members [...]
Labour re-commits to nationalising rail if it wins the next election September 26, 2022 Labour has re-committed to nationalising the railways if it forms government after the next election. Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh told the Labour party conference in Liverpool today that “the days of tinkering around the edges of a system that so clearly failed the public are over”. Five rail firms – including LNER, Northern Trains [...]
Savills warns of ‘acute’ house price plunges in London next year November 3, 2022 Savills, one of the biggest estate agents in the UK, has warned of an “acute” drop in house price value in London next year. A dreaded combination of higher mortgage rates and the cost of living crisis will fuel the price drop, the company said. The average cost of homes in the outer prime London [...]