Consumer confidence remains downbeat amid Budget wariness October 24, 2025 A small lift in consumer confidence over October has failed to take a leading index into positive territory amid fears that the upcoming Budget could damage personal finances. Labour has made boosting living standards a central mission in government while Chancellor Rachel Reeves has recently talked up plans to lower the cost of living for [...]
Exclusive: Labour mulls hefty fine for employers who stop unions entering offices every week October 23, 2025 The Labour government is considering a plan to give trade unions weekly access to businesses’ offices, with fines worth up to £75,000 to be dished out to bosses who bar them from entering. The Employment Rights Bill (ERB) is set to include powers for trade unions to gain “right of access” to workplaces, a perk [...]
The Capitalist: Sydney Sweeney an SEO knockout for The Standard October 23, 2025 Jewel-laden tax bills, the start of Christmas and The Standard's bosom friend Ms Sweeney. Catch up on the latest shenanigans.
Brits prep for an expensive Christmas at the grocers October 23, 2025 Brits are prepping for high grocery spending this Christmas as food inflation continues to dominate daily concerns, according to new data. Consumers’ expectations over the next three months of their personal finances worsened to -11 in October, down from -7 in September, according to the British Retail Consortium. The corresponding metric, personal spending on retail, rose nine [...]
Celebrate Christmas in style at Olympia: Unwrap bespoke corporate packages October 22, 2025 The festive season is the highlight of the corporate calendar – and there’s no better place to celebrate than Olympia, one of London’s most iconic venues. With its heritage setting in West London and a choice of dazzling event formats, Olympia offers the perfect mix of spectacle and sophistication. Whether you’re imagining a sparkling evening [...]
Aardman: Wallace & Gromit maker cuts jobs as losses continue October 22, 2025 Aardman, the studio behind the likes of Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep, slipped further into the red as it cut jobs during its latest financial year. The Bristol-headquartered animation company has posted a pre-tax loss of £5m for 2024, having also lost £550,135 in 2023. Over the same period, Aardman’s turnover declined from [...]
Virgin Wines blames government for inflationary cost pressures October 22, 2025 Virgin Wines has said most of its cost pressures this year have been driven by government policy, including an alcohol duty revamp and a bottle tax. The online wine seller told markets that profit before tax dipped by five per cent to £1.6m in the 2025 financial year, despite flat revenue. CEO Jay Wright pointed [...]
West Ham on hook for £5m despite Potter’s Swede pick-me-up October 22, 2025 West Ham will not receive any financial benefit from Sweden’s surprise appointment of Graham Potter, who is still set to bank around £5m in compensation after being sacked by the struggling Hammers last month. Most Premier League clubs only pay compensation – in the form of monthly salary payments – to sacked managers until they [...]
King Purton to see Star rise up over Happy Valley October 21, 2025 REGULAR form students of Hong Kong racing are advised to keep an eye on the weather before the action starts with a nine-race programme at Happy Valley on Wednesday. There has been plenty of rain in the city over the past few days, and although the forecast is to be dry come race time, it [...]
Bodycare: Creditors to lose millions after retailer’s collapse October 21, 2025 Bodycare owed more than £30m when it collapsed into administration with the loss of around 1,400 jobs, it has been revealed. The high street health and beauty retailer fell over in September with an initial 32 stores closed and around 450 employees being made redundant. That move was followed a few days later when it [...]