End backward, outdated Sunday trading laws! October 3, 2025 Restrictions on large stores trading hours on Sundays are a relic of a bygone era which strangle high streets and hold back growth, says Mark Allatt In an era where the rhythm of daily life has accelerated beyond recognition, the UK’s archaic Sunday trading laws stand as a stubborn relic, stifling economic vitality and curtailing [...]
Bosses’ inflation expectations highest in two years amid employment freeze October 2, 2025 Fears that inflation will remain well above the Bank of England’s two per cent target intensified on Thursday, after a closely watched survey of businesses revealed bosses plan to raise prices at their fastest rate since the height of the cost-of-living crisis. British businesses also have the weakest hiring intentions since 2020 with firms expecting [...]
Women’s sport participation numbers surge, Royal London state October 2, 2025 Participation numbers in women’s sport are soaring as global success inspires the next generation of athletes. More women are playing football, rugby, netball, hockey and cricket than in 2023 with big moments in women’s sport cited as key factors in getting people active. The findings, from Royal London, come a week after England’s Red Roses [...]
Lord Mayor: ‘Schizophrenic’ City needs more positivity October 2, 2025 The City of London is suffering from a bout of “extraordinary schizophrenia” that has left it devoid of confidence at a time when other markets still view it as one of the world’s eminent financial centres, the Lord Mayor has said. In one of the last speeches he will make in post before his term [...]
Retail investors put increasing trust in AI to build their portfolio October 2, 2025 UK retail investors are putting increasing amounts of trust in AI tools to build their investment portfolio, believing it is able to make more informed decisions. According to the latest report from investment platform eToro, the number of investors using AI tools has increased by 45 per cent over the last year. Of the investors [...]
Explainer: Why are energy prices so high? October 2, 2025 Energy prices for consumers across the UK rose again this month. Ofgem, the energy regulator, set the maximum annual rate for an average household for gas and electricity at £1,755 until the end of the year. The cap is now over £600 higher than when it was first introduced in 2019. Under the cap, [...]
UK ‘open for business’ as tech M&A surges October 2, 2025 The UK tech sector is experiencing a resurgence in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), driven by a combination of domestic innovation, international investment and the rapid adoption of AI. “The UK is definitely open for business”, investment banker Victor Basta told City AM. “It has enormous talent, and for international companies, particularly those who can’t invest [...]
Private equity stakes in NFL teams could increase above 10 per cent October 2, 2025 NFL commissioner Roger Goodell failed to rule out allowing private equity giants to buy more than the current 10 per cent limit in franchises ahead of a trio of games in London. In January the Buffalo Bills (Arctos Partners) and Miami Dolphins (Ares Management) became the first NFL franchises to sell stakes to private equity [...]
Tesco boss warns Reeves that ‘enough’s enough’ ahead of Budget October 2, 2025 Tesco boss Ken Murphy has warned Rachel Reeves that business will struggle to absorb more costs as fears rise of another tax raid in this Budget. UK retailers were hit by higher labour costs after an increase in the minimum wage and employer’s national insurance costs this April, after changes made at last October’s budget [...]
Rubber ducks are everywhere – it’s the UK’s strangest new trend October 2, 2025 Have you been handed a rubber duck by a stranger? Adam Bloodworth explores the latest way people are forging new IRL connections in this piece from City AM The Magazine‘s Autumn edition “We were at a festival when two girls I’d never met tapped me on the shoulder and handed me something,” says Aggie Morris, [...]