Exclusive: Budweiser to challenge Heineken for Uefa Champions League deal October 29, 2025 Uefa’s long-standing Champions League beer partners, Heineken, are facing competition from Budweiser for the contract to be the competition’s official suppliers from 2027 onwards. City AM has learned that Budweiser’s parent company, AB InBev, are willing to pay Uefa €200m per season, a significant increase on the €120m-a-year they are currently getting from Heineken. Budweiser [...]
Firms brace for ‘difficult winter’ as tax burden weighs on activity October 29, 2025 Companies across the private sector are braced for a “difficult” winter as activity is forecast to downturn across UK services due to mounting tax fears, fresh research has indicated. A leading survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), considered to be one of the UK’s most influential business groups, has suggested that private sector [...]
The smoking ban is emblematic of how the Tories lost their way October 27, 2025 The generational smoking ban shows what happens when Conservatives go against their instincts, says Karl McCartney When you are fortunate enough to be elected as an MP you have many issues that you might wish to pursue. In my and many of my former colleagues’ cases, these issues reflected basic Conservative values, encompassing a range [...]
Housing market stalls as ‘fearmongering about budget’ hurts confidence October 27, 2025 House price growth in the UK has slowed and sales have dropped for the first time in two years as more buyers adopt a ‘wait and see’ strategy ahead of a tax-raising Budget next month. Zoopla found that the usual Christmas slowdown has “begun six to eight weeks early”, with buyer demand down eight per [...]
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 [...]