New Companies House ID rule triggers 30 per cent slump in registrations Business Companies House’s new rules to prevent fraud have sparked a dramatic fall in new company registrations. As of 18 November, a new law came into effect requiring company directors to verify their identity, with failure to do so carrying enforcement risks. The new rules were part of Companies House’s new ID powers, which aim to [...]
Mothercare shares dive as firm warns future in ‘significant doubt’ Retail Shares in retailer Mothercare plunged by 10 per cent on Tuesday after the group cast “significant doubt” over its future on Tuesday. In a trading update it said it had breached an emergency loan agreement leaving the firm on the hook for millions of pounds. The AIM-listed company was set to repay an £8m loan [...]
Business confidence ticked up after Budget, Lloyds Bank says Economics Business confidence inched up at the end of 2025, according to a new survey, as firms were brought some relief and clarity after the Autumn Budget. Lloyds Banking Group’s latest Business Barometer found business confidence etched up 10 points by the end of 2025 when compared with the beginning of the year. Half of this [...]
Private sector slump to drag on to Spring 2026, businesses say December 22, 2025 UK business leaders have warned that the sharp downturn in the private sector is likely to continue until Spring 2026, after firms put plans for future investment on ice in the run-up to the Labour government’s Autumn Budget. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) anticipates private sector output to fall in the fourth quarter after [...]
John Caudwell: The business community is running out of goodwill for Labour December 18, 2025 When I started out as an entrepreneur, I asked for only three things from government. I wanted predictability, fair taxation and a system that rewarded hard work, says John Caudwell As someone who built Phones 4u from a one man band into a multi-billion-pound business, I know that every large company begins as a small [...]
The Debate: Should annual leave be enforced at Christmas? December 17, 2025 Should it be mandatory to take annual leave at Christmas? We put two office workers head to head in this week's Debate.
Government injects £120m into Ineos’s Grangemouth plant December 17, 2025 The government has piled over £100m into Britain’s last remaining ethylene plant in Grangemouth, saving hundreds of livelihoods after its owner warned that sky-high energy costs had left it on the brink of closure. Ministers inked a “landmark partnership” with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos on Wednesday to secure the future of the Falkirk plant, which [...]
Revolut ramps up business offering in Visa tie-up December 4, 2025 Revolut is set to scale up its offering to UK businesses in a fresh tie-up with payments juggernaut Visa. The fintech’s business to business arm – dubbed Revolut Business – is set to introduce Titan, a premium business card, early next year as it pushes forward in its mission to create the ultimate all-in-one app. [...]
AI powers UK’s startup surge as founder numbers soar December 3, 2025 While Britain is trudging through another tax-heavy Budget, LinkedIn data has revealed signs of a founder boom, with AI doing much of the heavy lifting. As Rachel Reeves attempted to boost startup and scale-up appetite in her Budget, LinkedIn revealed that the number of UK professionals adding ‘founder’ to their profile has jumped 69 per [...]
Business leaders fear more tax rises are on the way November 28, 2025 Businesses leaders are bracing for more tax rises even following another hefty cash raid from Rachel Reeves in her second Autumn Budget. Over two thirds of top bosses have said they fear business leaders will be targeted with more tax hikes even after the Chancellor raised taxes to the tune of £26bn on Wednesday. A [...]