Superdrug shrugs off Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes to create over 600 jobs July 2, 2025 Superdrug has created more than 600 jobs despite tax hikes introduced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves putting “pressure” on its margins. The high street chain upped its headcount from 13,845 to 14,479 in 2024, new accounts filed with Companies House have revealed. The increase comes after Superdrug also created more than 400 jobs in 2023. The [...]
Labour’s welfare U-turn spikes fears of tax hikes June 27, 2025 The Labour government has confirmed its latest U-turn with a significant retreat on welfare reform dealing a crushing blow to Rachel Reeves’ waning fiscal headroom. The bill initially targeted restrictions on personal independence payments (PIP) and limited the sickness-related element of universal credit in a bid to shed £5bn from the welfare budget by 2030. Under [...]
Heathrow eyes earnings crunch as national insurance hike weighs June 27, 2025 London Heathrow airport expects its earnings for 2025 to take a hit as it weighs the cost of Labour’s hike to employer’s national insurance contributions. The airport expects earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) to decrease by three per cent to near £1.98bn over the year due to higher operating costs brought on [...]
Halfords to shut garages amid growing cost pressures June 25, 2025 Halfords is set to close some of its garages this year as it struggles with increased labour costs introduced by last year’s Autumn Budget. Shares fell nearly two per cent in early trades. The cycling and motoring specialist said the sites earmarked for disposal are not able to provide the “level of customer experience to [...]
Thwaites ‘extremely nervous’ Rachel Reeves will raise taxes in Autumn Budget June 17, 2025 Beer brewer Thwaites is “extremely nervous” about the possibility of Chancellor Rachel Reeves raising taxes further in her Autumn Budget. The Lancashire-headquartered group, which also owns pubs and hotels, added its industry is “under tremendous pressure” from Reeves’ first Autumn Budget due to the increases in the National Minimum Wage and the employer’s National Insurance [...]
Reeves’ tax hikes lead to spike in pubs going bust June 16, 2025 The series of tax hikes introduced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in her Autumn Budget last year has contributed to a spike in pubs going bust across the UK in April, according to new figures. A total of 67 pubs closed down during the month – the highest number since July 2024 when 75 entered insolvency [...]
Reeves’ tax hikes force Timothy Taylor to raise price of a pint June 13, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes have forced brewer Timothy Taylor to raise its prices as it slammed the “hostile fiscal and regulatory environment” it now faces. The family-owned brewer said its industry is facing “significant input and labour cost increases” as well as dealing with the fall in business rates relief. Timothy Taylor added that it [...]
Worrying jobs figures show Labour’s Britain is heading for stagflation June 11, 2025 Staggering rises in unemployment are a result of government polices that prevent businesses creating new jobs, and will ultimately condemn Britain’s economy to low growth and high inflation, says Matthew Elliott Today’s employment figures from the ONS must serve as a wake-up call to the government that their economic agenda is running adrift. We have [...]
UK services jobs decline on ‘longest streak’ since financial crash June 4, 2025 Sliding employment levels in the UK service sector over the last eight months amount to the “longest streak” since the 2008 financial crash – barring the pandemic – according to S&P Global analysts. UK firms are facing intense pressure to maintain profit margins after a labour costs surge following Chancellor Reeves‘ tax raid on employers’ [...]
Reeves’ tax raids crush business confidence – but worst is yet to come May 29, 2025 Business confidence plummeted in the three months to May as Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes took hold and firms have warned more pain is to come. Consumer services’ optimism marked its eight consecutive month of decline at -42 per cent, whilst levels of business value plunged to -56 per cent. This was down from -44 per [...]