Explainer: Why are energy prices so high? October 2, 2025 Energy prices for consumers across the UK rose again this month. Ofgem, the energy regulator, set the maximum annual rate for an average household for gas and electricity at £1,755 until the end of the year. The cap is now over £600 higher than when it was first introduced in 2019. Under the cap, [...]
UK ‘open for business’ as tech M&A surges October 2, 2025 The UK tech sector is experiencing a resurgence in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), driven by a combination of domestic innovation, international investment and the rapid adoption of AI. “The UK is definitely open for business”, investment banker Victor Basta told City AM. “It has enormous talent, and for international companies, particularly those who can’t invest [...]
Private equity stakes in NFL teams could increase above 10 per cent October 2, 2025 NFL commissioner Roger Goodell failed to rule out allowing private equity giants to buy more than the current 10 per cent limit in franchises ahead of a trio of games in London. In January the Buffalo Bills (Arctos Partners) and Miami Dolphins (Ares Management) became the first NFL franchises to sell stakes to private equity [...]
Tesco boss warns Reeves that ‘enough’s enough’ ahead of Budget October 2, 2025 Tesco boss Ken Murphy has warned Rachel Reeves that business will struggle to absorb more costs as fears rise of another tax raid in this Budget. UK retailers were hit by higher labour costs after an increase in the minimum wage and employer’s national insurance costs this April, after changes made at last October’s budget [...]
Has the wind shifted on Net Zero? October 2, 2025 Once upon a time the promise of Net Zero enjoyed such universal support that a Tory government signed the UK’s Net Zero pledge into law. Today, the Tories say they’d scrap it – while alarm bells are ringing as the costs of the policy become clearer. In June 2019, Prime Minister Theresa May passed a [...]
Premier League spending not suffocating Europe, insists chief October 2, 2025 Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has denied English clubs’ unprecedented spending in the summer transfer window is “suffocating” rival football leagues. The 20 Premier League clubs spent £3bn over the summer, smashing all records for a transfer window. Their net spend was £1.2bn. This splurge was led by Liverpool, who spent over £400m, while [...]
BT urges government action amid standalone 5G rollout October 2, 2025 BT has called on the UK government to remove regulatory barriers and accelerate mobile network expansion. The call comes as the FTSE 100 giant announced plans to deliver standalone 5G (5G+) coverage to 99 per cent of the UK population by 2030, four years ahead of rival operators’ stated projections. Speaking at the Connected Britain [...]
Thames Water creditors offer £4bn debt write-off October 2, 2025 Creditors of Thames Water have made a rescue offer for the failing company by allowing a £4bn write-off of their debt in return for changed targets on pollution incidents. The deal would see 25 per cent of Thames Water’s debt written off but the group, under the consortium London & Valley Water, would see regulators [...]
Shawbrook gearing up for £2bn IPO in boost to London market October 2, 2025 Specialist lender Shawbrook is preparing to announce intention of its London Stock Exchange debut – a move which could take place as soon as Thursday next week. Shawbrook’s private equity owner – Pollen Street Capital – is eying a £2bn valuation for the firm from the transaction. It comes amid a dire outlook for the [...]
Sky back in profit ahead of cutting 900 UK jobs October 2, 2025 Media and telecoms giant Sky recovered from losing almost £800m to return to the black in 2024 before preparing to cut hundreds of jobs. Sky, which was bought by the US media company Comcast for £30bn in 2018, has posted a pre-tax profit of £253m for its latest financial year. The total comes after Sky fell [...]