Good news at last? Financial services sector rebounds at fastest rate this century Business Britain’s financial services sector rebounded in the first three months of this year powered by the fastest single-quarter recovery since 1996, a closely watched survey found. According to the CBI’s industry-wide survey, sentiment among financial firms improved for the first time in nearly two years, as an uptick in profitability was aided by the uncertainty [...]
HSBC names ex-CBI chief Carolyn Fairbairn as UK chair Banking The former boss of Britain’s largest industry body has been appointed the next chair of HSBC UK, having served on the bank’s board for five years. The lending giant confirmed on Monday that Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, who ran the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) between 2015 and 2020, would lead its board in the UK, [...]
Firms brace for ‘difficult winter’ as tax burden weighs on activity Economics Companies across the private sector are braced for a “difficult” winter as activity is forecast to downturn across UK services due to mounting tax fears, fresh research has indicated. A leading survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), considered to be one of the UK’s most influential business groups, has suggested that private sector [...]
Services sector in one year of pessimism, CBI suggests August 28, 2025 The UK services sector’s pessimism in business prospects has now lasted a full year, a new survey has found, providing further evidence that the trust between businesses and the Labour government has broken down. Labour ministers have rolled out a number of strategy papers over the last months to offer firms across the country a [...]
CBI on hunt for Soames successor July 3, 2025 The CBI has kicked off its hunt for a new chair to succeed Rupert Soames, the man credited with saving the lobby group from the brink of collapse. The UK’s business industry body has enlisted headhunters to help with the search for Soames’ successor in one of the most prominent roles in corporate Britain. Soames, [...]
CBI chair Rupert Soames: Reeves has created a ‘hole in the trust of business’ January 13, 2025 Rachel Reeves has created a “hole in the confidence and trust of business” by using the private sector to fill a £22bn hole in the government’s finances, the chair of the UK’s top business body has said. Rupert Soames, chair of the Confederation of British Industry, said the Chancellor had “bruised” British companies after rolling [...]
Business confidence takes ‘decisive turn for the worse’ after Budget, says CBI December 2, 2024 The Confederation for British Industry's (CBI) growth indicator showed that more firms expected activity to fall in the three months to February than to increase.
Starmer refuses to rule out further tax rises or more borrowing November 27, 2024 Sir Keir Starmer has refused to rule out further tax rises or additional borrowing when challenged to repeat his Chancellor’s pledge not to “come back with more”. During Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Conservative opposition leader Kemi Badenoch asked Starmer about Rachel Reeves’ words. She said: “At the Confederation [...]
Employers warn of workers’ rights reform and Budget double whammy November 26, 2024 Businesses are concerned about the aggregate cost of changes to workers’ rights and the cumulative impact of Budget measures, MPs have been told. The committee of MPs scrutinising the Labour government’s employment rights legislation took evidence from business groups, industry representatives and trade unions on Tuesday. And they were warned the combination of reforms to [...]
McVitie’s biscuits boss dunks on UK as investment destination November 25, 2024 The boss of the company behind biscuit giants McVitie’s, Jacobs and Carr’s has warned that the UK has become a less attractive place to invest. Speaking at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)’s annual conference on Monday, Salman Amin, the chief executive of Pladis, the firm behind the iconic brands, warned that Britain has become [...]