Rachel Reeves’ Autumn Budget still causing negativity – CBI July 30, 2025 A streak of negative business sentiment has now lasted 10 months, a leading industry body has suggested, in further evidence that employers have struggled to turn a page on Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ £40bn tax raid at last year’s Autumn Budget. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has repeatedly told MPs that business confidence was edging higher, [...]
For first time ever, more small firms expect to shrink than grow July 14, 2025 More small business owners expect their firm will shrink, shut or be bought over next year than predict a year of growth – for the first time in at least 15 years. According to a poll by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), 27 per cent of bosses believe their company will downsize, be sold [...]
Business confidence hit by tax fears as Rachel Reeves’ headroom crumbles July 2, 2025 British business confidence has been hammered by Labour’s tax blows but fears remain heightened the government will return for more. A survey by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) revealed 56 per cent of firms were particularly concerned about their tax burden, which comes as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer failed to rule out further [...]
Peel Hunt: UK stock market held back by ‘lack of self esteem’ June 16, 2025 The boss of City broker Peel Hunt has said London markets are being held back by a “domestic lack of self esteem”. Steven Fine, Peel Hunt’s chief executive, told City AM the UK believes it is in “a lot worse shape than the rest of the world does,” which has led to a cheapening of [...]
UK business confidence bounces back from Trump’s tariff blow May 30, 2025 UK business confidence rallied in May as global financial markets made their recovery from President Donald Trump’s tariff onslaught. Lloyds Bank business barometer jumped 11 points over the last month to 50 per cent. – marking a nine month high. The lender surveys 1,200 companies and weighs up the percentage of firms that have a [...]
Reeves’ tax raids crush business confidence – but worst is yet to come May 29, 2025 Business confidence plummeted in the three months to May as Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes took hold and firms have warned more pain is to come. Consumer services’ optimism marked its eight consecutive month of decline at -42 per cent, whilst levels of business value plunged to -56 per cent. This was down from -44 per [...]
Britain’s start-ups reeling from economic pressure May 27, 2025 Start-up businesses are feeling the sting of an uncertain economic landscape as fresh research shows new firms are employing fewer staff than ever before. The average number of staff for a new firm had slumped to 2.64, down from 3.5 in 2017 according to Cynergy Bank’s latest Business Births and Deaths Index. The research, which [...]
UK employer confidence falls to pandemic-era low May 12, 2025 Confidence among UK employers has fallen to lows seen only during the coronavirus pandemic as economic uncertainty over tariffs pile on top of rising costs for businesses. The number of UK employers expecting to increase headcounts over the next three months fell to the lowest outside of the pandemic, the latest survey of more than [...]
Over half of business leaders expect a recession this year March 17, 2025 Business leaders’ confidence is at a “crossroads” just weeks ahead of the Government’s tax hikes kicking in, according to fresh research. BCG’s Centre for Growth surveyed 1,500 bosses in its “State of UK Business” report and found 57 per think a recession is likely this year. This follows Friday’s release from the Office for National [...]
The Chancellor must act urgently to restore business confidence March 5, 2025 77 per cent of businesses have ‘low or very low confidence’ in the UK’s business environment; winning business back will require us to actively improve our offering, with comprehensive reforms to our regulatory, legal and fiscal framework, says Sam Bidwell With all eyes on Washington and Kyiv, the government must not lose sight of trouble [...]