Next boss slams Labour’s zero-hour contracts crackdown Retail The boss of Next has slammed the government’s crackdown on zero-hour contracts and called on Labour to unwind its “employment taxes”. Lord Simon Wolfson, chief executive of the FTSE 100 retailer, said the government’s plans to force employers to offer guaranteed hours to those on flexible contracts will make it “much harder” for Next to [...]
Badenoch accuses Starmer of lying as Abramovich row erupts Politics Kemi Badenoch has accused Keir Starmer of lying about her shadow attorney general Lord Wolfson amid a furious row about funds in Roman Abramovich’s frozen bank account designated for Ukraine. Starmer took aim at Lord Wolfson, who has recused himself from offering the Tory leader advice on Ukraine and Russia due to his own legal [...]
M&S cyberattack helps Next to beat expectations again Retail High Street darling Next has said that good weather and the disruption to Marks & Spencer caused by its recent cyberattack has helped it to beat expectations yet again. The Lord Wolfson-run fashion group said full price sales were up over 10 per cent in the first half of this year, nearly £50m ahead of [...]
Next boss Lord Wolfson in calls for ‘renewed centre right’ July 19, 2025 Lord Wolfson, the boss of retail giant Next, has called for a “renewed centre right” which champions the free markets’ importance in raising living standards. Wolfson, a Conservative life peer and prominent supporter of Brexit, argued a “commitment to liberty” should form the basis of the right-wing movement in the UK. “This classical liberalism stands [...]
Tory immigration policy: Kemi Badenoch unveils review into leaving ECHR June 6, 2025 Kemi Badenoch has used a major speech on immigration to announce a review into the UK leaving the European Court of Human Rights. In a speech at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in Westminster, the Conservative leader announced a “lawfare commission” whilst slamming “a legal culture that’s become more interested in political activism than [...]
Next: Boss of FTSE 100 giant rewarded after £1bn profit April 10, 2025 The chief executive of FTSE 100 giant Next took home almost £5m as the high street icon’s profit surged to more than £1bn for the first time. Lord Simon Wolfson took home a total pay packet of £4.72m for the Leicester-headquartered retailer’s latest financial year, up from £4.63m. The CEO’s remuneration package included a salary [...]
Next CEO backs Lords battle against National Insurance tax rise January 29, 2025 The chief executive of retail giant Next has backed an attempt in the House of Lords to change the planned change to employer’s National Insurance Contributions (NICs). Lord Wolfson has supported amendments to the bill which have been tabled by Baroness Noakes. In Labour’s Budget last Autumn, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said that the government would [...]
Next: Lord Wolfson warns Budget will make it ‘harder’ to enter workforce January 17, 2025 The boss of retail giant Next has warned that tax rises announced in the Budget will make it “harder and harder for people to enter the workforce”. Lord Wolfson told the BBC that the government’s move to hike national insurance (NI) would disproportionately hit entry-level jobs. “The axe has fallen particularly hard on those entry-level, [...]
Next boss Lord Wolfson sells £29m of stock in the high street bellwether September 29, 2024 Next’s chief executive has sold £29m worth of shares in the FTSE 100 fashion and homeware store. Lord Wolfson of Aspley Guise sold around 290,000 shares, leaving him with 950,000 shares worth £100m, Next told markets on Friday. News of the sale sent Next’s share price down 3.5 per cent, although it’s risen by 21.24 [...]
Next upgrades guidance again as the company welcomes ‘new phase’ September 19, 2024 Retail industry bellweather Next has upgraded its guidance by £15m after sales and growth “exceed expectations”, while it vies for £1bn in profit. The retailer upgraded the profit guidance it issued on 1 August by £15m, to £995m, “as a result of the strength of our full price sales over the last six weeks”. This [...]