Business leaders bemoan Budget uncertainty as tax hikes loom Business Business leaders up and down the country have poured scorn on the Chancellor after months of Budget uncertainty damaged consumer confidence and forced firms to hold off key investment decisions. Scores of chief executives, from retail to hospitality to telecoms and manufacturing, have voiced their concern over the lack of a clear fiscal plan after [...]
Vodafone chief shakes off Budget gloom as shares jump telecoms Vodafone’s chief executive has said the forthcoming Budget is “not a big thing for us” after the telco defied wider economic gloom to deliver a dividend hike. The FTSE 100 firm said it saw 1.2 per cent growth in the UK in the six months to the end of September, while Germany, a key market, [...]
BT bets on budget provider amid broadband customer losses Tech BT has lost more broadband customers than expected, a sign that even its £15bn fibre rollout is struggling to retain customers from drifting to cheaper rivals. Openreach, BT’s network arm, reported a net loss of 242,000 broadband lines in the second quarter of its financial year, worse than the 205,000 analysts had pencilled in. The [...]
UK telecom giants sign new pact to block scam calls as AI drives fraud November 5, 2025 Britain’s biggest mobile networks have agreed to overhaul their systems to stop scammers using fake numbers to impersonate banks and government departments. As ministers seek to stem the growing tide of AI-driven fraud, BT, EE, Vodafone, Three, Virgin Media O2, Sky, TalkTalk and Tesco Mobile have signed a new telecoms charter with the Home Office. [...]
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 [...]
FTSE 100 seals best quarterly rise since 2022 September 30, 2025 The FTSE 100 has net its best quarterly rise since 2022 as the index shrugged off geopolitical tensions to storm to record highs. London’s blue-chip index clawed back morning losses to seal a 0.54 per cent gain at 9350.43. A batch of risers managed to offset losses from market heavyweights. Pest control firm Reckitt and [...]
Watch: Is the UK at risk of recession? September 25, 2025 We were told this would be the most pro-business government in the history of the country – so why have a gang of top chief executives this week fired warning shots at the Treasury – and why has one of them warned that we’re heading into a recession? It wasn’t supposed to be like this. [...]
‘We’re already at peak government inflicted costs’ BT chief warns Chancellor September 24, 2025 The boss of BT has joined a chorus of chief executives urging the Chancellor not to raise the costs of doing business at her forthcoming Budget, warning the telecoms industry was “already at peak government inflicted costs.” In an on-stage interview with City AM at the Connected Britain conference on Wednesday, Allison Kirkby said: “We [...]
Plusnet cuts jobs as sales and profit slashed August 15, 2025 Plusnet cut more than 100 jobs as its sales and profit were slashed during its latest financial year, it has been revealed. The Sheffield-headquartered broadband provider, which is owned by BT, has posted a turnover of £342.4m for the 12 months to 31 March, 2025, down from the £401.8m it achieved in the year before. Plusnet [...]
TalkTalk: Huge losses revealed amid job cuts and fleeing customers August 6, 2025 The full extent of TalkTalk’s financial woes have been revealed for the first time amid sky-rocketing losses and huge job losses as customers move to other broadband providers. New accounts for the Salford-headquartered group filed with Companies House have revealed its pre-tax losses surged from £153m to £465m in the year to 28 February, 2025. [...]