GDP shrinks in January as UK economy prepares for upcoming tax hikes March 14, 2025 The UK economy underperformed expectations in January. According to the latest set of gross domestic product (GDP) figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the economy shrank by 0.1 per cent in January as output was dragged down by a sharp drop in output in the production sector. Over the three months to [...]
PWC cuts partners and apprenticeships amid slow demand March 12, 2025 Consulting giant PWC UK has made record cuts to its partner ranks and paused its tech apprenticeship scheme to protect partner profits in the face of a sharp decline in consulting demand. According to corporate filings, 123 partners left the Big Four firm in 2024, more than double the annual average since 2002. Meanwhile, the [...]
Deloitte names new UK financial services lead March 11, 2025 Deloitte has appointed consulting veteran Suresh Kanwar to head up its financial services division in the UK and join its executive committee. Kanwar previously led the audit and consultancy behemoth’s banking and capital markets team, and his new new role makes him one of the 13 most senior figures in Deloitte’s 27,000-strong army of UK [...]
Confidence boost for UK shoppers fails to improve high street retail sales March 11, 2025 High street retail sales continued to fall in February despite a confidence boost for UK consumers, a survey has found. Overall, retail sales increased by 1.1 per cent in February, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).However, this was driven by food sales, which grew 2.3 per cent year-on-year. Non-food sales were flat in February, [...]
KPMG to merge dozens of markets in major overhaul March 10, 2025 Big Four audit giant KPMG will merge dozens of its national partnerships in an attempt to accelerate growth and minimise audit scandals. The move to integrate its panoply of businesses, each of which is owned by the respective partners in each jurisdiction, represents one of the most significant shake-ups at a major professional services network [...]
Can the ‘hotelification’ of the office beat working from home? March 8, 2025 London offices are offering monogrammed towels and rooftop gardens to tempt staff back into work, says Alex Morgan Some of the world’s largest companies are pulling the plug on hybrid working, but not without a hitch. In the US, Amazon’s return-to-office (RTO) mandate has been put on pause because of a shortage of desks in [...]
Drax ‘misled’ government over wood sourcing, ex lobbyist alleges March 7, 2025 Drax’s former public affairs lead has accused the company of “misleading the public, government and its regulator” over its sourcing of wood for biomass pellets. Rowaa Ahmar was employed by Drax in 2022 amid allegations in a BBC Panorama documentary it had sourced wood from environmentally important forests in Canada instead of using sawdust and [...]
Mid size firms stifled by export barriers and rising costs March 3, 2025 Increasing workforce costs and export barriers are threatening the growth of UK mid-size firms. According to new research from BDO, which surveyed 500 business leaders representing companies with turnovers between £10m and £300m, the sector cited international trade challenges as the top concern over the next six months. Over a third, 34 per cent, of [...]
Private enterprise is feeling positive about growth February 27, 2025 Despite what’s looking to be a tough year ahead, businesses are confident about their growth prospects in the next 12 months, says Euan West Everyone in the business world is talking about growth in 2025, but the big question on everyone’s lips is whether we will achieve it. Whether being used in a positive or [...]
Entain on a ‘losing streak’ as gambling giant battles legal problems February 26, 2025 Entain share price has fallen by over 20 per cent over the last year as the listed group's legal problems continue to cause a headache