‘Smoke and mirrors’: Why high street still faces a £250m tax hike under Healey Retail Andy Burnham propelled himself to Downing Street by pledging a revival of Britain’s struggling high streets. Felix Armstrong asks: has John Healey delivered it? Among the sectors clamouring for John Healey’s attention ahead of his maiden Budget, none were louder than those calling for the government to revitalise Britain’s ailing high street retailers. Shuttered shops, [...]
Pint prices to rise as Healey hikes beer duty Hospitality The price of a pint is set to rise by 2p after John Healey announced plans to hike beer duty, saddling pubs with more costs despite a commitment to cut their business rates. The Chancellor said alcohol duty, which is charged on every pint sold, will rise in line with Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation, [...]
Jobs apocalypse: Britain’s biggest firms cut more than 130,000 roles in two years Economics Britain’s biggest businesses have axed more than 130,000 jobs over the past two years, a City AM analysis has found, laying bare the scale of pressure facing firms amid surging employment costs and the growing tide of automation. The analysis compiled more than 250 separate media reports of layoffs, job cuts and company administrations at [...]
John Healey is a beer man. Does this spell good news for pubs? October 27, 2026 Geoffrey Howe sipped a gin and tonic, Nigel Lawson quaffed a wine spritzer, while George Osborne and Gordon Brown stuck to mineral water. Ahead of his first Budget, one of the many decisions weighing on Chancellor John Healey’s mind will be whether to get a little squiffy at the despatch box. If he does, it [...]
Warehouse tax ‘dropped over fears of Trump trade war’ October 21, 2026 Andy Burnham’s plans for a so-called ‘warehouse tax’ were dropped over fears a raid on US firms like Amazon could spark a trade war with Donald Trump, a top industry body has claimed. The Prime Minister, during his campaign to become Makerfield MP, pledged to hike business rates on “out of town” warehouses to fund [...]
Greene King boss: Pub industry ‘reaching breaking point’ October 20, 2026 The finance boss of Greene King has warned that soaring taxes and employment costs have pushed the UK’s hospitality industry to “breaking point”. Jonathan Fearn, finance chief of the privately-owned pub chain, said decisions taken by the Labour government have “created a cocktail of costs, which have made it ever harder for a pub to [...]
LaCage: The new bougie Kensington sports bar trying to change the game October 19, 2026 Does London need another sports bar? The capital is hardly short of a spot or two to chill out (or rage) and indulge in the big Premier League match, cricket showdown or Formula 1 race. Well it’s got one, and it is fair to say it’s purposely positioning itself in a different lane. Because the [...]
Retailers press Healey to cut high street taxes at crunch Downing St meeting October 13, 2026 Retailers urged John Healey to “reverse the damage” of rising high street taxes as the Chancellor met industry bosses on Tuesday. Top retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer pressed Healey on business rates and youth unemployment but the Chancellor stopped short of confirming any Budget measures. Healey hosted high street bosses at Number [...]
Marstons shares soar as pub firm bets on sports bars October 13, 2026 Shares in Marstons soared on Tuesday after the hospitality firm said it would ramp up efforts to convert more than 100 of its pubs into sports bars. The London-listed pub company said its new “Grandstand” format, which offers big screens and match-based food and drink offers, has been its “standout” performer this year. The World [...]
Premier Inn owner Whitbread hits out at ‘destructive’ activist investor October 13, 2026 Premier Inn owner Whitbread has hit out at the activist investor seeking a seat on its board, claiming its proposals would be a “complete waste” of time and money. The FTSE 100 hospitality firm wrote to shareholders on Tuesday urging them to reject the plans put forward by Corvex Asset Management, one of the group’s [...]