James Dyson: Reeves’ inheritance tax hike ‘is killing geese that lay golden eggs’ January 27, 2025 Billionaire Sir James Dyson has again hit out at Rachel Reeves for her tax raid budget, saying British family businesses are being “fleeced”. The British entrepreneur, 77, hit out at the Chancellor in a letter to The Times, writing that Reeves will “kill off” British family businesses with a “vindictive” budget, including inheritance tax hikes. [...]
‘We hope this is not goodbye’: Partridges to close iconic London store after 53 years January 14, 2025 Independent family-run food store Partridges is to close its iconic London location after 53 years. The company is to shutter its fine food store in Duke of York Square, Chelsea, on 2 February. Partridges confirmed that its location in Gloucester Road, Kensington, will continue to trade as usual and that a new store will open [...]
‘Hammer blow’: Family firms call for inheritance tax consultation December 16, 2024 Family businesses are urging the government to consult on changes to inheritance tax (IHT), warning the move represents a “hammer blow” to the UK economy. Some 160,000 family-owned firms – represented by 32 trade associations – have written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves to request a formal consultation on IHT changes in the Budget. The letter, [...]
Pubs boss: ‘We cannot allow the government to destroy family companies’ December 8, 2024 The boss of a seventh-generation pub and brewing giant has argued that “we cannot allow the government to destroy family companies” as they are the “bedrock of the UK economy”. In a post on LinkedIn William Lees-Jones, who owns and runs Manchester-based JW Lees, which has produced real ale since 1828, reiterated his opposition to the changes [...]
Warburtons boss reveals how Samuel L Jackson and The Muppets helped transform bakery giant November 28, 2024 The boss of Warburtons has said the bakery giant would not be where it is today without the help of Hollywood A-listers Samuel L Jackson, George Clooney, Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone – and The Muppets. Chairman Jonathan Warburton, part of the fifth generation of the family to lead the Bolton business, has seen the [...]
Budget could destroy seventh-generation pub giant, warns boss November 18, 2024 The changes announced in the Budget represent an ‘existential threat’ to the future of a seventh-generation pub and brewing giant, its owner has warned. William Lees-Jones, who owns and runs Manchester-based JW Lees, which has produced real ale since 1828, has warned he is now “facing the very real prospect that we will never be able to [...]
No10 warned over risk of ‘killing off’ family-run firms November 4, 2024 Downing Street is attempting to weather a storm whipped up by entrepreneur James Dyson over changes to the inheritance tax treatment of family-run businesses. In an article in the Times, Dyson accused the government of “killing off family businesses, individual aspiration and economic growth” with their approach to death duties in the Budget. The high-profile [...]
UK family businesses fear ‘dishonesty’ in Labour’s tax plans September 24, 2024 UK family businesses are beginning to fear dishonesty within Labour's tax plans set to be revealed in the upcoming Autumn budget, a new poll has found.
How Heck! sausage mogul rejected yachting career to captain family business September 6, 2024 Following a rocky five years which saw sausage maker Heck plummet into the red, the 33-year-old entrepreneur at the helm of the family business said growth is finally on the horizon. From a pre-tax profit of almost £722,000 in its 2018 financial year, in 2021 the brand, which is headquartered on a 500-acre farm deep [...]
Women more likely to find top roles at family-run businesses – here’s why March 1, 2024 The analysis, compiled from the 2023 London Stock Exchange and IPO data and conducted by Investec Wealth & Investment (UK), showed just 16 per cent of directors of the firms that completed IPOs in 2023 are women.