Freddie Flintoff firm in the red after Top Gear horror crash March 3, 2025 The company Freddie Flintoff runs to manage his post-cricket business activities, such as media appearances, has fallen into the red after he took time off after a horror crash filming Top Gear for the BBC. Freddie Flintoff Enterprises, which is run by the former England star and his wife, Rachael, has reported a £646,823 loss [...]
Mortgage approvals up a fifth since January last year March 3, 2025 Mortgage approvals rose 18 per cent year on year in January after interest rate cuts improved affordability. Mortgage approvals sat at 66,189 in January, up 18 per cent from 55,941 in January 2024, according to ONS data. “UK homebuyers appear to have begun the year on the front foot,” CEO of specialist lender Octane Capital, [...]
Five of the best Easter Breaks to book for April sunshine February 28, 2025 The Easter Break is coming up quickly, and even though the holiday is later in the calendar month than usual this year, it’s still a good idea to book an escape that has guaranteed sun. Here are five places to spend your Easter Break for something a little more relaxed than endless rain and drizzle. [...]
UK government aligns with US with AI regulation delays February 25, 2025 The UK government has postponed its plans to introduce legislation regulating artificial intelligence (AI), as ministers reassess their approach in light of the US’s de-regulatory stance on AI. The proposed bill aimed to require AI companies to submit large language models (LLMs), like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, for testing by the UK’s AI safety institute. It was [...]
Britain’s hospitality leaders face a crisis of confidence as tax rises bite February 25, 2025 Optimism in Britain’s hospitality sector has continued to slip, with only a third of leaders confident about the next year of trading as cost pressures mount. It’s the fifth month in a row that the confidence of Britain’s hospitality leaders has fallen, according to CGA by NIQ’s latest Business Confidence Survey. Morale is now at [...]
Payments regulator reportedly could be scrapped as No10 slashes red tape February 23, 2025 The UK’s payments regulator could be scrapped and folded into another regulator as part of efforts by No10 to slash red tape, according to Sky News. Ministers are mulling whether to abolish the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) and amalgamate it into the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the broadcaster has reported. A decision could come within [...]
Green shoots? UK retail sales beat expectations in January February 21, 2025 Brits returned to the shops in January as discount spending fueled the first monthly rise in retail sales volumes since last August. Retail sales volumes rose 1.7 per cent in January, following a fall of 0.6 per cent in December, according to the ONS. Analysts had expected growth of just 0.3 per cent. This was [...]
Glazer answers question of whether Manchester United is for sale February 20, 2025 Manchester United co-owner Avram Glazer has given a definitive answer as to whether he would sell his share in the Old Trafford club. The Premier League club published their results this week, showing a £14.5m cost for disposing of former manager Erik ten Hag, sporting director Dan Ashworth and others. The club therefore made a [...]
Libby’s Naked Wines diary: why wine drinkers always crave beer February 19, 2025 Libby’s Naked Wines diary this week: why I’m craving beer after wine, and why we travel I first met Ashwin Bhardwaj in my living room 17 years ago. I had come through in the morning to make my shreddies and found a nearly naked chap in a tiny pair of pants, doing lunges. He had [...]
‘Alarm bells’ for Bank of England as inflation accelerates to three per cent February 19, 2025 Inflation picked up faster than expected at the start of the year, official data shows, as concerns grow about the persistence of price pressures in the economy. The headline rate of inflation picked up to 3.0 per cent in January, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This was up from [...]