Mid-sized firms will add two million jobs to UK economy by 2028, BDO says March 24, 2025 Mid-sized businesses could add £745bn to the UK economy in the next three years, according to new research by the financial services firm BDO. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has set out her ambitions to deliver growth “further and faster”, but her plans have come under fire as the Office for Budget Responsibility looks set to halve [...]
Mixed bag of PMI data as services grow but manufacturing slumps March 24, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has received mixed signals about the state of the UK economy ahead of her Spring Statement as S&P Global’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) pointed to an upturn in services while manufacturing declined again. The Spring Statement will be delivered on Wednesday as global trade war tensions escalate and worries over incoming tax [...]
JD Sports: Nike woes could spell trouble for retailer says broker March 24, 2025 London broker Peel Hunt has downgraded its forecast for JD Sports ahead of the company’s full-year results next month due to short-term industry issues. Peel Hunt cut its projected profit before tax and earnings per share for JD Sports by three per cent for the financial year 2026. The broker attributed the downgrade to an [...]
Martin Sorrell’s S4 Capital warns of tariff uncertainty March 24, 2025 Sir Martin Sorrell has warned S4 Capital will feel the weight of global macroeconomic volatility into 2025 as losses at the London-listed marketing group widened significantly. In a statement, Sorrell cited continued high interest rates and underperformance and warned of “uncertainty in global economic policy, particularly tariffs” into 2025. He added that geopolitical volatility stemming [...]
Average price of pint to surge above £5 due to April cost hikes, say beer bosses March 24, 2025 The average price of a pint of beer is set to surge past £5 for the first time due to cost hikes hitting the sector next month, according to industry bosses. Pub sector chiefs have warned that prices for customers will have to increase in order to help keep venues running in the face of [...]
What NOT to expect in the Spring Statement March 24, 2025 The Spring Statement shouldn’t be a big thing, but it’s increasingly feeling like it could be. Here's what Reeves should do, but won't.
IPL: The cricket sensation causing a betting bonanza March 23, 2025 Cricket’s biggest show returned this weekend with the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) getting underway in Kolkata. And while online betting is restricted in India – to such categories as the lottery and horse racing – there’s a growing international gambling market interested in the Twenty20 league. Ironically the Chennai Super Kings [...]
What the Online Safety Act means for UK tech March 23, 2025 New rules under the Online Safety Act came into force on Monday, requiring tech firms to find and remove illegal content, or risk facing heavy fines. The law applies to around 100,000 online services including social media platforms, online forums and messaging apps. It has given the UK watchdog the power to enforce stricter content [...]
‘Nothing off the table’ over possible troop deployment for Kyiv, No10 says March 22, 2025 Western military planning to enforce a potential ceasefire in Ukraine is set to intensify in London next week as No10 said “nothing is off the table” over possible troop deployment for Kyiv. No10 said “thousands” of personnel would be required to support any operation whether by “sea, on land or in the air” as allies [...]
Chancellor rules out ‘tax and spend’ policies ahead of spring statement March 22, 2025 The Chancellor has ruled out “tax and spend” policies ahead of her spring statement next week. Rachel Reeves is under pressure to increase taxes or cut spending to meet the financial rules she set at the budget in October amid disappointing growth figures and higher-than-expected borrowing. Figures released on Friday came as a further blow, [...]