Third of London restaurants worried they can’t afford energy bills, new data reveals February 16, 2023 A third of London restaurants are concerned they may be unable to pay their bills if energy prices keep rising, according to a new study by Uswitch for Business. In the capital, restaurants are currently operating at an average capacity of 54 per cent – six per cent lower than the UK average – with [...]
Hunt urged to transform ringfencing regime which puts UK at ‘disadvantage internationally’ February 15, 2023 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has been urged to reform the ringfencing regime “as quickly as possible” as UK Finance submitted proposals ahead of the Spring budget. In a list of proposals submitted today, UK Finance, the industry body, said “the current ringfencing regime puts the UK at a disadvantage internationally, as well as trapping liquidity and [...]
Thames Water risks £500m shortfall after April bill hike as vulnerable customers fall behind on payments February 14, 2023 Hundreds of thousands of Thames Water's customers risk falling behind on their bills when prices rise in April, according to Outra.
Inflation erodes UK real pay rapidly despite record wage increases as 137,000 Brits return to workforce February 14, 2023 UK take home pay is falling at one of the fastest paces since records began over two decades ago despite wage growth racing ahead at the quickest rate outside the pandemic, official figures out today reveal. Real pay fell 4.3 per cent over the three months to December last year when using the consumer price [...]
Water industry pledges to invest its way out of sewage crisis despite missing spending targets last year February 13, 2023 The government must hold firm with plans to clamp down on sewage spills in the water industry, warns a leading environmental group.
UK firms cut back on hiring as rising costs hit business optimism February 13, 2023 British firms have begun cutting back on hiring as services businesses suffered a hit from the UK’s cost-of-living crisis, new research from BDO shows. Hiring has fallen to its lowest levels since December 2021, following a sharp drop in business output over the previous year, data from BDO’s business trends report shows. UK business output [...]
Make childcare cheaper to tackle UK’s talent crunch, business lobby says February 12, 2023 The UK government should make childcare more affordable to help ease the country’s labour shortages, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has said. In the upcoming Spring Budget, UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt should set out plans to help “cash strapped” parents pay for childcare, the business lobby group said. It warned talent shortages are holding [...]
CBI: Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak must use budget to prevent recession and bolster UK economy February 9, 2023 Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak need to use the spring budget to stimulate growth to prevent the UK tipping into a recession this year, the country’s biggest business group has urged today. The chancellor and prime minister should at the 15 March statement soothe the impact of a sharp rise in the UK’s profit tax [...]
Forget writing letters to stay at home mums, we need to rethink tax-free allowances February 7, 2023 Britain has a productivity and employment problem and the government, try as it might, can't get the over 50s or parents back to work. Changing tax-free allowances might be the ticket, writes Alex Petropoulos
Labour bound ahead in polls with largest lead since Sunak entered No10 February 6, 2023 The Labour Party has bounded ahead in the polls with their largest lead over the Conservatives since Rishi Sunak entered No10 – with the PM getting record low approval ratings from the public. Voters have given Keir Starmer’s party a 26% lead, according to the latest voting intention survey, by Redfield & Wilton Strategies. It [...]