Welcome to the shape-shifting world of big tech taxes April 29, 2025 Axing the Digital Services Tax may be the price Britain pays for a trade deal with the US, but that doesn’t mean we’ve seen the back of tech taxes, says Tim Sarson Just a few days ago, Rachel Reeves was strolling in, to paraphrase Flanders and Swan, the geopolitical zoo that is Washington DC, attempting [...]
Food inflation rises to its highest level in almost a year April 29, 2025 Food inflation has risen to its highest level in almost a year as cost pressures begin to weigh on prices. Food inflation increased to 2.6 per cent year on year in April, against growth of 2.4 per cent in March and above the three-month average of 2.4 per cent, according to the British Retail Consortium [...]
Marriott to acquire smart hotel brand CitizenM for £266m April 28, 2025 Marriott International will acquire hotel and lifestyle brand CitizenM for £266m as it looks to expand its select-service and lifestyle lodging offerings. CitizenM, which opened its first hotel in 2008, currently operates 36 open hotels – with 8,544 rooms – across more than 20 cities. The brand’s current pipeline includes three under-construction hotels comprising over 600 [...]
M&S breach exposes retail sector’s security risks April 28, 2025 Marks and Spencer (M&S) has been grappling with a serious cyber attack that forced the retailer to suspend online orders, disrupted in-store operations, and blocked its remote staff from working on its system. The attack, which began over the Easter weekend, has left M&S unable to fulfil many customer orders – driving its stock down [...]
Vue: Cinema chain loses over £90m despite Deadpool & Wolverine boost April 28, 2025 Cinema chain Vue lost more than £90m last year as the success of Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine failed to boost its bottom line. The business has posted a pre-tax loss of £91.8m for the 12 months to 30 November, 2024, having also lost £73.7m in the prior year. The latest total comes [...]
New data reveals VAT on school fees could hike costs by £75,000 April 28, 2025 The government’s policy of VAT on school fees would introduce a price hike in excess of £75,000 for families sending children to independent schools, according to new analysis by wealth manager Rathbones. According to the data, the average cost of sending a child to an independent day school for the duration of their time at [...]
Sir Ben Wallace: Former defence secretary gets new job April 28, 2025 Former defence secretary Sir Ben Wallace has taken up his second private sector role since retiring from politics, joining the board of an engineering firm specialising in energy security. Advanced Innergy Holdings (AIS) supplies industrial and energy clients with technology used to protect a wide range of assets, ranging from subsea cables to offshore wind [...]
Carwow boss: Why Chinese EVs have become so popular April 28, 2025 China’s share of the UK car market has soared in the last two years to make up more than 10 per cent of imports as Brits embrace an influx of new, cheaper models. Many of China’s biggest manufacturers, from BYD to Geely, are jostling to become the dominant player in the UK EV segment, setting [...]
US tariffs threaten to derail UK economic growth, EY warns April 28, 2025 UK economic growth could slow sharply over the next two years as US tariffs weigh heavy on spending and investment, and uncertainty washes over households and businesses, new forecasts show. Recovery from a period of stagnant growth will be directly hampered by US President Donald Trump’s plans, EY Item Club said in a new report. [...]
Inside the rapid rise of UK fintech April 27, 2025 There’s a rocket strapped to UK fintech, and it’s only speeding up. On 28 April, UK fintech week kicks off, with industry body Innovate Finance hosting its 11th global summit. This follows another record year for the industry, where businesses saw profits balloon and customer bases swell. Allica Bank – a London-based fintech – was [...]