Top private school warns Reeves’ ‘unwelcome’ tax hikes will cost millions May 13, 2025 One of the top private schools in the UK is “taking stock” as it warns Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes will cost it millions. Gresham’s School, whose former students include Sir James Dyson – who donated £35m in 2023 – added it will have to now take action to make sure it “does not become [...]
Quooker: Labour’s policies are hitting our growth May 12, 2025 The boss of instant hot water tap brand Quooker has branded the Labour government “less helpful than helpful” as its decisions are dampening confidence and curtailing investment. UK managing director Stephen Johnson has revealed that rising costs, low consumer confidence and a shrinking kitchen market are making expansion increasingly difficult despite Quooker seeing another 10 [...]
Ray-Ban owner issues warning after UK sales fall May 9, 2025 The owner of Ray-Ban has issued a warning over its performance this year after its UK sales and profit fell in 2024. The UK arm of Luxottica Group said the increase in the cost of goods and services is expected to negatively impact its gross and operating profit this year. The group added that the [...]
Don’t exempt Indian workers from NI, abolish it altogether May 8, 2025 The row over Indian visas is really a sign of how misleading and poorly-understood the tax system is, says John Oxley The row over National Insurance exemptions for Indian workers shows the difficulty the government has in balancing trade deals with concerns about immigration. It also points to the confusions which abound around National Insurance [...]
Network Rail faces extra £213m National Insurance hit May 7, 2025 Network Rail will take an additional £213m hit over the next few years from the National Insurance tax hikes announced in Rachel Reeves’ Autumn Budget, it has been revealed. The figure marks a 16 per cent increase on a previously expected payout of £1.26bn over the remaining four years of its current financial control period. [...]
Next set to reveal profit increases amidst tariff uncertainty May 3, 2025 Next is expected to post rising profits next week despite a string of costs increases hitting retailers and broader concerns about UK consumer confidence. The retail giant will reveal its first quarter results on May 8, hot on the heels of profits of more than £1bn last year. Next, which has more than 450 stores [...]
Week in Business: Labour’s jobs madness as employers urge change of plan April 17, 2025 Business Secretary Johnny Reynolds was so fed up with people criticising him for never having run a business that he bought himself a whopping great steel mill in Scunthorpe. Now firmly a member of the boss class, will he have sympathy with the business chiefs who this week begged the government to rip up their [...]
Welcome to the era of the £6 pint April 11, 2025 The average price of a pint in London is set to hit £6.06, almost £1 over the national average. Our pubs urgently need business rates reform to save jobs and boost growth, says Emma McClarkin British pubs have been hit as hard as any business by the government’s economic policies, and it’s starting to cost [...]
Deliveroo exec: London restaurants can’t take more tax hikes April 8, 2025 London's restaurants can't take more punishing tax hikes, writes Deliveroo's chief business officer Carlo Mocci in today's Notebook.
Tariffs: Starmer commits to fiscal rules and not raising income tax and VAT April 7, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer has stressed his commitment to the government’s fiscal rules and reiterated he would not increase national insurance, VAT or income tax, despite Donald Trump’s tariffs upending government economic policy. The Prime Minister called for “cool heads” as global markets plunged in response to the US President’s sweeping global import taxes, and said [...]