Distillers One of One: The Glenlivet and Port Ellen bottles smash records October 13, 2025 The third edition of The Distillers One of One® Charity Auction smashed all expectations last week, raising nearly £3m for charity. Overall, the One of One auction raised £2.9m, setting a total of 30 auction records in the process. Record price tags were achieved for The Glenlivet, Port Ellen, Ladyburn, Glenfarclas, The Glendronach, Laphroaig, KANDOBLANC, [...]
Astrazeneca vows to lower US medicine prices after pressure from Trump October 13, 2025 Astrazeneca has bowed to pressure from US president Donald Trump to lower the cost of its medicines for patients in America. The Cambridge-based pharma giant said it will provide direct-to-consumer sales to eligible patients with prescriptions for chronic diseases at a discount of up to 80 per cent off list prices, alongside participating in the [...]
Lloyds Bank shares edge up despite £800m motor finance hit October 13, 2025 Lloyds Banking Group has taken a swipe at the City watchdog after being forced to hike its provisions for the motor finance scandal to £2bn. The banking giant said the redress scheme was not proportional or reasonable in ensuring customers were rightly compensated and it did not reflect the “actual loss” of borrowers. It added [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Lloyds warns on ‘adverse’ outcome on motor finance October 13, 2025 Good morning from the City AM liveblog team. As we edge close to the Budget, more and more businesses are growing agitated over how their industry might be affected. Nowhere were these concerns more stark than in retail, where the Co-op has warned that 60,000 small shops and 150,000 jobs could be lost without business [...]
AI fraud surge squeezes UK retail margins as businesses fight back with tech October 13, 2025 UK retailers are under siege from a surge in AI-driven fraud, eroding thin profit margins and forcing a scramble for smarter defences. As economic headwinds bite, fraud losses are climbing, with businesses from high street giants to e-commerce heavyweights investing heavily in technology to stay afloat. Michael Reitblat, chief executive of fraud prevention specialist Forter, [...]
Finance chiefs fear UK is falling behind as Labour growth push falls flat October 13, 2025 UK finance chiefs believe the country is falling behind rivals as costs are stacking up and squeezing profit margins, a new survey has shown, with further alarm bells ringing that businesses are losing faith in Labour’s drive for growth. The government has moved to curry favour with top investment bosses as Rachel Reeves met the [...]
High Court showdown: Mercedes, Ford and Renault stand accused in Dieselgate trial October 13, 2025 Car manufacturing giants, including Mercedes, Ford and Renault, are set to face a lengthy trial at the High Court over allegations they cheated emissions tests. Knicknamed Dieselgate, the largest group claim ever brought in the UK, is set to kick off at the court on Monday morning for a 10-week trial in front of Lady [...]
Rachel Reeves urged to levy one-off wealth tax October 13, 2025 Researchers say Rachel Reeves should introduce a one-off wealth tax to avoid the “direct disincentive” of an annual levy. But the Chancellor risks wreaking havoc on the UK economy unless she breaks Labour manifesto commitments and introduces vast reforms to the wider tax system, according to a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). [...]
Co-op warns 150,000 jobs at risk ahead of Autumn Budget October 13, 2025 The Co-op has warned that 60,000 small shops and 150,000 jobs could be lost without business rates reform in next month’s Autumn Budget. The Manchester-headquartered group has said Britain’s high streets “face a critical moment” and that Chancellor Rachel Reeves needs to announce “maximum” business rates relief on 26 November. The call comes after City [...]
Reeves warns the rich will ‘contribute more’ as Budget tax squeeze looms October 12, 2025 Rachel Reeves has signalled that wealthier households will be asked to “contribute more” in her Budget next month, as the chancellor seeks to close a £20–30bn gap in the public finances without cutting spending or taking on new debt. Treasury sources told The Telegraph that Reeves will neither reduce public spending nor expand borrowing significantly, [...]