Mixed bag of PMI data as services grow but manufacturing slumps March 24, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has received mixed signals about the state of the UK economy ahead of her Spring Statement as S&P Global’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) pointed to an upturn in services while manufacturing declined again. The Spring Statement will be delivered on Wednesday as global trade war tensions escalate and worries over incoming tax [...]
Chancellor’s £40bn tax raid blamed for manufacturing slump March 21, 2025 Manufacturing has seen a faster fall in output at the beginning of this year as Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ £40bn tax raid means businesses are “conserving funds”, research by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) suggests. The sector is seen as crucial to the Labour government’s growth plans as it pushes for a rise in technology [...]
‘Ominous’: UK manufacturing declines amid tax and trade fears March 17, 2025 UK manufacturing output fell during the first quarter of the year for the first time in a decade, as fears over a global trade war and rising taxes hit firms. Output fell one per cent in the first three months of 2025 after a 20 per cent rise in the quarter before, with UK orders [...]
Rolls-Royce CEO’s pay slashed by almost £10m despite rocketing FTSE 100 shares March 6, 2025 The chief executive of Rolls-Royce, Tufan Erginbilgic, has seen his pay slashed by almost £10m despite transforming the fortunes of the FTSE 100 giant. The CEO took home a pay packet of £4.1m for the Derby-headquartered group’s latest financial year, down from the £13.6m he received in the prior 12 months. Erginbilgic’s previous remuneration package [...]
A win on the world stage masks mounting trouble at home March 4, 2025 Keir Starmer has won plaudits for his decision to increase defence spending (albeit by less than the amount he’s given Ed Miliband to run a pretend energy company) and voters appear to be firmly behind the PM’s decision to fund this modest splurge by raiding the international development budget. The latest City AM Freshwater Strategy [...]
Government urged to back manufacturers’ growth ambitions March 4, 2025 The Government has been urged to back small and medium-sized (SME) manufacturers’ growth ambitions after fresh data showed it could give the economy an £83bn boost. Make UK and Citivas’ new report proposes that if SME manufacturers hit their targets the UK’s manufacturing sector would boom to 7th in the world. It currently stands at [...]
Manufacturing job cuts accelerate ahead of national insurance hike March 3, 2025 Activity in the UK’s manufacturing sector dropped to its lowest level in fourteen months, a new survey has revealed, with lower demand and weak confidence plaguing the industry. The S&P’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) showed downturns deepened as firms braced for changes made in the Government’s budget to be enacted. The index stood at [...]
Thatchers: Historic cider maker cheers record sales after Aldi legal battle win February 25, 2025 Sales at family-owned cider maker Thatchers have surged to a new record as they passed the £200m mark for the first time in its 120-year history. The Somerset-headquartered business, which was established in 1904, has reported sales of £203.9m for the 12 months to 31 August, 2024. The new figure comes after the firm’s turnover [...]
UK economy: Inflation worries build as manufacturing cost pressures surge February 3, 2025 S&P's purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the manufacturing index showed that input prices increased at "accelerated rates" last month.
Emma Bridgewater: Jobs cut as UK’s ‘queen of pottery’ sinks further into the red January 31, 2025 The pottery brand founded by eponymous designer Emma Bridgewater cut jobs as it sank further into the red during its latest financial year. The business, which is based in Stoke-on-Trent and backed by BGF, has posted a pre-tax loss of £4.4m for the 12 months to 27 April, 2024. The loss comes after the company also [...]