eBay launches £3m AI programme for UK SMEs October 1, 2025 E-commerce giant eBay has unveiled a major initiative aimed at helping UK small businesses harness the power of AI and compete with larger enterprises. The company’s new programme, ‘AI activate’, is a £3m investment that will provide up to 10,000 small enterprises with fully funded access to OpenAI-powered tools and tailored training to boost productivity [...]
Close Brothers looks to ‘accelerate’ after ‘messy’ year October 1, 2025 Close Brothers is hoping to switch gears and “accelerate” after the motor finance scandal had the bank stuck in a rut. The specialist lender’s share price has swerved between a low of 185.00 and peak of 555.00 over the last 12 months. The car misselling saga has been the driving force of stock woes, sending [...]
Most businesses use ChatGPT before consulting their accountant October 1, 2025 Almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of businesses are now using public AI chatbots for advice before consulting their accountant, according to new research exclusively shared with City AM. A survey of 500 senior decision-makers within UK accountancy firms, conducted by Ravical for its ‘Accounting in the Age of AI‘ report, found clients are no longer [...]
Taxing gambling is a desperate cash grab that Labour will regret October 1, 2025 Long a scapegoat whenever the Treasury needs quick cash, Labour will regret taxing the gambling industry, writes Oliver Dean.
Keir Starmer is dangerously deluded October 1, 2025 The prime minister may have insisted yesterday that wealth creation is “the defining mission of this government” but it certainly wasn’t the defining mission of his speech to the Labour party conference. There were roughly 7,000 words in Keir Starmer’s address to party members in Liverpool, with “business” being uttered just four times – and [...]
Tax hikes push firms to automate jobs, says top UK recruiter October 1, 2025 Tax hikes and wage pressures are putting Brits at risk of losing roles to automation and offshoring, a top UK recruitment firm has warned. Hays has warned Britain is becoming “unattractive to hire people permanently” as employer costs mounted over the last year. “Wage pressures and national insurance changes are pushing employers to explore automation [...]
‘Packaging tax’ to force further price rises October 1, 2025 UK businesses will be forced to pass the vast majority of costs incurred by a new packaging tax onto consumers, in a move that will stoke already rampant food inflation and compound financial pressures on hard-pressed households. According to fresh figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC), retailers plan to pass over 80 per cent [...]
Business confidence ‘plumbs new depths’ ahead of Budget October 1, 2025 Business confidence fell to a fresh record low in September, as fears of another cost squeeze stoked an already dire operating environment that was found to have “worsened across the board”. According to an Institute of Directors (IoD) poll, private sector optimism plunged to the lowest level since the industry body started collecting data a [...]
New green tax labelled ‘own goal’ ahead of Budget September 30, 2025 A new green tax coming into effect this week has been labeled an “own goal” for the Labour government and stoked fears it could lead to prices soaring. The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) levy is designed to increase increasing recycling rates among local authorities, by passing on the costs onto the companies selling the products. [...]
Bank of England’s Breeden says inflation ‘hump’ is transitory September 30, 2025 The Bank of England’s deputy governor has warned keeping interest rates too high could drag inflation below the Bank’s two per cent target in comments that further exposed the divergence that exists among central bank officials over the long-term path of inflation. In a dovish speech delivered at Cardiff Business School, financial stability deputy chief [...]