Breadmakers Hovis and Kingsmill butter up £75m merger July 26, 2025 Bread producers Hovis and Kingsmill are set for a historic merger with their owners expected to ink an agreement after months of discussion. Kingsmill, whose immediate parent Allied Bakeries is owned by London-listed Associated British Foods (ABF), and Hovis could benefit from up to £50m of annual cost savings from a merger. The proposed agreement, [...]
London hiring plunges as Rachel Reeves’ tax grab weighs July 14, 2025 London hiring has suffered a steep drop as rising costs weigh on employers following Rachel Reeves’ tax grab. Permanent staff places in the capital – hires with no fixed end date – fell at the sharpest rate in 22 months in June. Meanwhile, temporary bills, which track the total income recruitment agencies earn from placing [...]
Consumer spending drives ‘healthy pickup’ for UK businesses July 3, 2025 Consumer and business spending has led to a “healthy pickup” in business activity, fresh research has suggested, despite concerns income had been squeezed by higher taxes and energy bills. The Labour government was recently dealt a blow as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed the UK economy contracted by 0.3 per cent in April, [...]
Business pressures forcing lawyers to become advice jugglers July 3, 2025 British businesses are facing several pressures across the board, forcing them to turn to their lawyers seeking more than just legal advice
UK VC investment storms ahead of Europe as AI dominates July 3, 2025 UK venture capital funding stormed ahead of its European peers in the first half of 2025 as the country’s innovation economy remained resilient in the face of wider geopolitical tensions. Total investment topped $8bn (£5.9bn), edging up three per cent from the final six months of 2024. This gave the UK a 30 per share [...]
A year of hard Labour: UK plc’s verdict on Starmer and Reeves July 3, 2025 Just a year ago, Keir Starmer’s Labour party won an historic general election victory having promised to be “the most pro-business government this country has seen’. Ali Lyon sees whether industry and business leaders feel the party has met that vow 12 months on. As some of the great and good of Britain’s storied business [...]
Labour versus the bond markets, businesses and ballots July 3, 2025 Birthdays aren’t best celebrated on a hangover but Labour’s senior leaders will be waking up with a painful headache this morning after haemorrhaging support from both bond markets and backbenchers. As dozens of Labour MPs discovered the level of influence they held over whips in parliament, unsympathetic bond traders flexed their own powers as medium-term [...]
Demand for financial advice surges for time-pressed City workers June 30, 2025 City workers facing a time-pressed epidemic often lack confidence in their financial situation, resulting in businesses seeking external financial advice
Boardroom Uncovered: Can Motorway change how the UK views used cars? June 25, 2025 Speaking on the latest episode of Boardroom Uncovered, Tom Leathes opened up about the chances of Motorway going public on the London Stock Exchange.
Businesses face challenges ‘operating in polarised societies’ June 25, 2025 Increased political violence and unpredictable oscillations in government policies have resulted in political polarisation surging around the world