Small house building firms in ‘existential crisis’ as sales rates plummet March 9, 2026 Falling sales are pushing small and medium-sized (SME) house builders into an “existential crisis” that could threaten the government’s house building ambitions. SME house builders have seen average sales drop by 41 per cent between 2021 and 2025, according to a report by estate agents Savills for the Land, Planning and Development Federation (LPDF). The [...]
Hiring intentions at lowest level in nearly 15 years March 8, 2026 British businesses are the most pessimistic about hiring they have been in nearly 15 years, according to consultancy firm BDO. UK bosses are facing difficult hiring decisions as the cost of employment ramps up, with the BDO’s employment index at its weakest reading since March 2011. The index, which reflects hiring intentions, held at 93.30 [...]
Staff bonus up in air as John Lewis tempers expectations March 8, 2026 Many of John Lewis’ more than 70,000 employees will be hoping for some good news next week, as the retail giant will announce whether it will be reinstating its sorely missed staff bonus after years of freezes. The bonus handed out to staff had long been a central part of John Lewis’ brand, as symbolic [...]
Lady Mayor: It’s not right to pretend I’m no different to my male predecessors March 8, 2026 After debuting as London's first 'Lady Mayor', Susan Langley was inundated with emails telling her how she had inspired young girls.
Trump promises to hit Iran very hard, after president vows to never surrender March 7, 2026 US president Donald Trump has vowed to continue hitting the country, after Iran’s president has said his country will never surrender to the US and Israel, but apologised to neighbouring countries for launching strikes on them. Presidnet Masoud Pezeshkian said in a state TV speech broadcast on Saturday: “The enemies must take their wish for [...]
Blackrock fund limits withdrawals amid private credit fears March 7, 2026 The world’s largest asset manager BlackRock has limited withdrawals from a flagship debt fund after a surge in redemption requests, as investors worries on the private credit industry grow. Blackrock’s shares tumbled 7.1 per cent on Friday following the announcement, closing at $955.45 (£713.37), amid a broader market sell off after worse than anticipated US [...]
Hugh Osmond-backed restaurant group snaps up pubs to launch new brand March 6, 2026 The restaurant group backed by British businessman Hugh Osmond has bought four pubs for more than £11m as it launches a new brand. London-listed Various Eateries has bought the four sites – in the Cotswolds, Berkshire, Surrey and Hampshire – from Grosvenor Pubs and Inns for £11.5m. The group said “premium” pubs with rooms remain [...]
Grounds for expansion: Airwallex’s Europe chief bets on London in licence pursuit March 6, 2026 As payments giant Airwallex laid out plans to double down on Europe, they turned to a man with experience at a multi-billion dollar deposit holder. The $8bn cross-border specialist was looking for someone to steer the ship amid expansion plans across Europe but in that endeavour didn’t poach a veteran of Wall Street or the [...]
Axel Springer strikes £575m deal to buy Telegraph titles March 6, 2026 German media giant Axel Springer has agreed a £575m deal to acquire Telegraph Media Group, ending years of uncertainty over the future ownership of one of Britain’s most influential newspaper publishers. The all-cash agreement will see the Berlin-based publisher – which owns Politico, Business Insider, Bild and Die Welt – take control of the Daily [...]
University spinouts boom as startups pull in billions March 6, 2026 Academics are increasingly going on to start their own start-ups, with a surge in spinouts, patents and investment pointing to the growing commercial impact of Britain’s research base. New figures seen by City AM show the number of UCL academics seeking to commercialise their research has jumped by more than 25 per cent since the [...]