Budget 2026: Sainsbury’s boss urges Labour to tackle Neets crisis Retail The boss of Sainsbury’s has urged the government to tackle the UK’s youth unemployment crisis, as he hit out at previous hikes to the cost of hiring workers. Simon Roberts, chief executive of the UK’s second-largest grocer, said John Healey must “focus on doing the right thing for young people” at next week’s Budget. In [...]
Greene King boss: Pub industry ‘reaching breaking point’ Hospitality 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 [...]
‘Last days of the honeymoon’: Anxious bosses prepare charm offensive at Labour conference Politics Ahead of the Labour Party Conference on Sunday, and one month away from the Budget, businesses are feeling nervous, write Mauricio Alencar and Felix Armstrong Stepping onto an early-morning Avanti West Coast train from London Euston is now a familiar feeling for the Prime Minister. Andy Burnham is set to make the journey more regularly [...]
Co-op blames job cuts on Labour national insurance raid September 23, 2026 Co-op group has slashed its headcount this year to handle the added costs of Labour’s national insurance raid, its chief executive has revealed, saying the tax hikes had pushed the retailer to invest in more automation. The group, which runs life insurance and funeral businesses as well as its grocery arm, said on Wednesday that [...]
Brewdog founder James Watt slams Burnham over Neets crisis September 16, 2026 Brewdog co-founder James Watt has attacked Andy Burnham for “dangerous narratives” around youth joblessness, criticising the government for hiking the cost of employment. The beer tycoon said the Prime Minister is wrong to “blame the system” and should instead cut the cost of hiring workers and “get out of the way”. The Scottish businessman, who [...]
Claridge’s swings to £10m loss as luxury hotel warns on ‘adverse impact’ of tax hikes September 11, 2026 Claridge’s has suffered a loss of just under £10m as the iconic London business warned government tax hikes were taking their toll. The five-star Mayfair hotel, which opened its doors in 1898 before expanding via a five storey ‘mega basement’ in 2021, recorded a loss after tax of £9.7m for 2025, reversing a £2m profit [...]
Giving Neets jobs in hospitality would generate £2.3bn, Hilton claims September 9, 2026 Hilton has urged the government to encourage unemployed young people into hospitality, claiming that filling all the industry’s vacancies would add £2.3bn to the economy. The hotel group, in collaboration with trade body UK Hospitality (UKH), has urged Andy Burnham to lower taxes on hospitality firms to give them the breathing space to take a [...]
Itsu blames inflation and Labour tax hikes as rising costs bite September 9, 2026 Itsu has posted its third consecutive annual loss as the Asian food-to-to chain blamed surging inflation and Labour hikes to employment taxes for its rising costs. The edamame eatery, founded by the grab-and-go tycoon behind Pret a Manger, said the UK’s fast food industry is suffering from fragile consumer confidence and a rising tax burden. [...]
‘King of Mayfair’ Richard Caring hits out at ‘lacklustre’ economy September 7, 2026 Richard Caring, dubbed the ‘King of Mayfair’, has blamed the UK’s “lacklustre” economy for falling sales at his luxury restaurant group. The hospitality tycoon’s Caprice Holdings reported a four per cent dip in revenue to £90.5m in the year to January, which it blamed on rising employment costs and US tariffs. Caring’s hospitality group includes [...]
Retailers call for ‘lifeline’ from Healey as cooler weather fails to boost footfall September 4, 2026 Britain’s retailers have called for a “lifeline” from the Chancellor John Healey after footfall fell again in August despite cooler temperatures. Total footfall in the UK fell by 1.7 per cent year on year last month, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Though shopping traffic fell at a slower rate than July’s [...]