Business

Leaders push UK four-day week shift

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Britain faces a potential £20bn fiscal hit as the OBR plans a sharp productivity downgrade, raising concerns of income tax increases. As reported by The Guardian, Chancellor Rachel Reeves could face a £20bn hit to public finances

Aegon urges early pension access

England (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Prince Andrew has officially relinquished his royal titles and royal allowances, leaving questions about how he funds his high-profile lifestyle, including his vast Windsor residence and costly security. Despite losing taxpayer support, his financial sources include a

Dubai (Parliament Politics Magazine) – MultiBank Group and former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov have formed a multi-billion-dollar joint venture to create the world’s first regulated tokenized sports ecosystem. The Dubai-based partnership will leverage blockchain technology, the $MBG token, and Nurmagomedov’s global sports

Scotland (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Petrofac, the oilfield services group, faces imminent insolvency, with administrators from Teneo ready to intervene as soon as Monday, threatening over 2,000 jobs in Scotland. The company’s board, chaired by Rene Medori, is in emergency talks as

Businesses warn against Labour’s bill

Co-op faces backlash over vape sales

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK inflation stayed at 3.8% in September, with slower food price rises balancing higher costs in transport and leisure activities. As reported by The Guardian, UK inflation held steady at 3.8% in September, surprising analysts and providing

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK borrowing reached £20.2bn in September, the highest in five years, driven by higher welfare spending and debt costs ahead of the autumn budget. As reported by The Guardian, rising debt interest and higher welfare payments pushed

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK economy grew 0.1% in August, boosted by manufacturing and health, as Chancellor Rachel Reeves prepares a budget to close a £20–30bn fiscal gap. As reported by The Guardian, official figures show Britain’s GDP rose 0.1% in

Washington (Parliament Politics Magazine) –  The IMF reports that global government debt may reach 100% of GDP by 2029, with the UK, US, China, Japan, and France at risk. As reported by The Guardian, the IMF warned that by 2029, global debt

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Chancellor Rachel Reeves hints at potential tax hikes and spending cuts in her budget to tackle a £30bn fiscal black hole and economic pressures. As reported by Sky News, Rachel Reeves is considering higher taxes and spending

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Scotland’s Energy Secretary Gillian Martin warns NE risks “no just transition,” urging action to secure green jobs and avoid repeat of past industrial decline. As reported by The Independent, Gillian Martin warns North East could lose the

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The Competition and Markets Authority approved five UK water firms to raise bills by £556m over five years, rejecting most of their £2.7bn request. As reported by The Guardian, millions of English households will face higher water

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK car dealer Vertu Motors warns JLR cyber attack could cut up to £5.5m from annual profits, hitting September sales and luxury car operations. As reported by The Standard, British car dealer group Vertu Motors warns it

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos cuts 60 jobs at Hull plant, blaming net zero and cheap Chinese imports for unsustainable energy costs. As reported by The Telegraph, Ineos, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has reduced the staff at

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – A CIPS survey finds 29% of companies hit by cyber-attacks, with major firms like JLR and Asahi facing huge disruptions and losses worldwide. As reported by The Guardian, nearly a third of managers report increasing cyber-attacks on

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Five water firms urge the CMA to permit bigger bill hikes than Ofwat approved, leaving millions of English households facing higher costs. As reported by the Guardian, households across England risk higher water charges as the Competition

The Winter Fuel Payment (WFP) is an annual, tax-free government payment aimed at helping people of pension age in England and Wales meet the costs of heating their homes during colder months. Administered by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the WFP is

London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – British food giant Bidcorp urges Chancellor Rachel Reeves to ease tax pressure, warning that higher duties on food firms may burden consumers. As reported by The Telegraph, food industry leaders warn Rachel Reeves against tax hikes on

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Nationwide says UK property values rose 0.5% in September, with semi-detached homes leading, while Northern Ireland led yearly growth at 9.6%. As reported by The Independent, Nationwide Building Society said the average Britain house price climbed 0.5%

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – National Crime Agency and Law Society warn of rising home sale scams, with average losses of £82,000, urging stronger protections in the legal sector. As reported by The Independent, a new campaign warns of scams targeting homebuyers,

London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – BT CEO Allison Kirkby says UK telecoms face government costs 10x higher than Europe, warning the industry is at “peak” costs ahead of November’s budget. As reported by The Guardian, BT’s chief executive warned that telecom operators

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The Institute for Government, funded by Lord Sainsbury, urges Labour to raise taxes on the middle class rather than the wealthy to cover a £30bn budget gap. As reported by The Telegraph, Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces calls

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Great Britain’s energy operator Neso boosts real-time monitoring and protocols to prevent blackouts, ensuring grid resilience after Iberian outages. As reported by The Guardian, Great Britain’s energy operator Neso said it has upgraded grid monitoring to future-proof

UK (Parliament Politics magazine) – UK pension savers withdrew a record £70.9 billion from retirement pots in 2024-25, up nearly 36% from the previous year, amid widespread “fear and rumour” about impending budget changes. Experts cautioned against rash decisions driven by speculation

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK labour market weakens with wages slowing to 4.8% and unemployment steady at 4.7%, signalling rising job losses and economic pressure. As reported by The Guardian, official figures show the UK jobs market is weakening, pay growth

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Citizens Advice says 4.5 million renters rationed energy last winter and urged the government to enforce stricter landlord efficiency standards by 2030. As reported by The Guardian, Citizens Advice, a consumer charity, revealed that over 40% of

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK interest rates are expected to stay at 4% until 2026 as the Bank of England balances inflation and a weak labour market, economists warn. As reported by The Independent, economists warn that the Bank of England

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK jobseeker numbers hit a five-year high as firms cut staff and froze hiring, with fears that Rachel Reeves’ tax plans could further strain the labour market. As reported by The Telegraph, jobseeker numbers hit a five-year

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Economist Simon French warned Chancellor Rachel Reeves that “self-defeating” tax rises and inflation are driving UK borrowing costs to 27-year highs. As reported by The Telegraph, Simon French, chief economist at Panmure Liberum, warned Rachel Reeves that

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK long-term borrowing costs hit 27-year high at 5.68%, forcing Chancellor Rachel Reeves to consider tax hikes or spending cuts before the autumn Budget. As reported by The Guardian, Rachel Reeves faces pressure as UK long-term borrowing

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK house prices drop 0.1% to £271,079 in August amid high mortgage costs and affordability pressures slowing market activity. As reported by The Guardian, the average UK home price slipped 0.1% to £271,079, falling short of the

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Energy bills in Great Britain will rise 2% from October as Ofgem lifts the cap to £1,755, adding £35 to annual costs for 9 million households. As reported by The Guardian, millions of UK households are expected

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK automakers urged softer EV targets, citing high costs and job risks, despite increasing electric car sales and government climate goals. As reported by The Guardian, documents reveal UK carmakers lobbied for relaxed EV rules, citing risks

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK borrowing fell to £1.1bn in July, well below forecasts, easing pressure on Rachel Reeves ahead of her autumn budget despite rising debt over the year. As reported by the Guardian, official data shows the UK borrowed

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK inflation rose to 3.8% in July, driven by higher food, travel, and fuel costs, surpassing forecasts and delaying further Bank of England rate cuts. As reported by The Guardian, Britain inflation climbed to 3.8% in July,

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – German discounter Lidl closes in on Morrisons as the UK’s fifth-biggest grocer, fueled by increasing sales while shoppers seek cheaper groceries. As reported by The Guardian, Lidl’s growth in recent months has nearly matched Morrisons. This has

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK steelmakers threaten legal action after tariffs on Asian imports leave shipments stranded, driving industry-wide disruption and rising costs. As reported by The Guardian, British steel firms plan legal action against the government over Asian steel tariffs,

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Labour’s EV grant scheme applies to only 17 of 130 models, raising concerns that the scheme will leave most buyers without incentives to switch to EVs. As reported by The Telegraph, Labour’s upcoming grant will cover only

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Bank of England cuts interest rate to 4% but warns inflation may rise again, driven by food costs, possibly hitting 4% by September. As reported by The Guardian, the Bank of England warned that rising food costs

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Halifax reports a £1,080 rise in UK house prices in July, with values up 2.4% annually, backed by easing borrowing costs and stable market activity. As reported by The Independent, UK house prices increased by 0.4% in

London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Glencore gives FTSE a major boost as it abandons plans to shift its stock market listing to the US, reaffirming its commitment to remain in London. As reported by The Telegraph, Glencore has abandoned plans to leave

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – HMRC data shows over 2.6 million savers will face tax bills in 2025 due to frozen thresholds and high interest, with the average bill hitting £2,300. As reported by The Telegraph, more than 2.6 million UK taxpayers

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – HSBC CEO Georges Elhedery warns the UK economy could suffer if bank taxes rise, as profits fall 29% due to economic challenges in China and Hong Kong. As reported by The Guardian, HSBC’s chief expressed concern shared

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The British gambling sector is lobbying ministers and Labour staff to oppose a tax rise that could increase duties on betting, casinos, and online games. As reported by The Guardian, the gambling sector has launched behind-the-scenes lobbying

UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Charlie Nunn has warned that increasing taxes on banks could threaten economic stability, even as Lloyds reported a 17% jump in profits. As reported by The Guardian, Charlie Nunn warned Rachel Reeves that raising bank taxes in