UK’s ageing water network would take 700 years to replace at current rate April 25, 2025 Britain’s ageing water network would take 700 years to replace if work continues at the rate seen since privatisation, according to Whitehall’s spending watchdog. The National Audit Office (NAO) on Friday released an extensive investigation into the performance of the the three water regulators, Ofwat, the Drinking Water Inspectorate and the Environment Agency, and Defra. [...]
Consumer confidence drops as inflation fears mount April 25, 2025 Brits’ confidence about their own finances, as well as those of the Treasury, has dipped as geopolitical uncertainty mounts. GfK’s long-running confidence index dropped by four points to -23 in April, driven by an eight-point drop in how Brits see the economy and a four-point drop in how Brits see their own finances. The findings [...]
Reeves to say global trade should provide ‘security for working people’ April 24, 2025 Rachel Reeves will tell foreign finance ministers that global trade should provide “security for working people” as she prepares for talks with her US counterpart. The Chancellor is in Washington for the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) spring meeting of finance ministers from the G7 and G20, and is due to sit down with US Treasury [...]
As retail crime soars, is better tech the answer? April 24, 2025 Retail crime has soared by a fifth year-on-year, with retailers now questioning how to deal with extremely high shrinkage amid already-thin margins. Shoplifting offences rose by 20 per cent to 516,971 offences in December, up from 429,873 offences last year, according to the Office for National Statistics. The effect is a whole lot of shrink. [...]
Which taxes hurt growth the most? April 24, 2025 No business enjoys paying taxes. The knock to a company’s bottom line, as well as the costs of compliance with a sprawling regulatory regime, can leave execs foaming at the mouth. But some taxes are more damaging to growth than others. And, according to fresh research, some have virtually no negative economic impact at all. [...]
FCA vows to slash red tape by 70 per cent for investment firms April 24, 2025 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has laid out new rules as it bows to government pressure to slash the amount of red tape on investment firms. The move, designed to streamline what types of funds investment firms must hold to absorb losses and maintain financial resilience during periods of stress, is expected to reduce the [...]
Exclusive: Small businesses under-prepared amid restructuring push April 24, 2025 Small businesses in the UK are feeling under pressure as mounting threats of cyber-security and economic instability push them towards restructuring, City AM can reveal. Less than one-third of British firms feel very equipped to deal with potential business challenges, according to data from financial and risk advisory firm Kroll. The survey of 350 senior [...]
London house prices fall fuels sales surge April 24, 2025 Sales of prime central London housing jumped up during the first three months of 2025 as prices fell amid the ongoing global uncertainty. Residential sales activity in the first quarter rose 12 per cent compared to 2024, according to new research from global property advisor JLL. “There are clear signs of renewed confidence across prime [...]
Pod Point shares to be temporarily suspended as EDF steps in April 24, 2025 Shares in one of the UK’s largest EV chargepoint companies are to be temporarily suspended as its French majority shareholder steps in to takeover the entire business. Struggling Pod Point said on Thursday it had received conditional proposal from EDF Energy, currently a 53 per cent shareholder, for its entire share capital. The non-binding offer, [...]
Jupiter: ‘Mixed update’ for asset manager amid market volatility April 24, 2025 Jupiter Fund Management saw assets fall by £1bn over the first three months of 2025, after funds were hit by investor withdrawals and market volatility. The stock price of the asset manager dipped two per cent this morning following the publication of what Investec described as “mixed” quarterly results. Analysts had been expecting Jupiter to [...]
