Recession in “full swing” as inflation puts small businesses in “critical” state January 4, 2023 Recession in Britain is now in full swing with experts warning of a “critical” situation for small businesses up and down the country, according to fresh data, as the economy turns sour to start 2023. Brits are reining in spending to withstand the impact of record-high inflation on their budgets, resulting in one in four [...]
Business energy support set to be halved to reduce taxpayer bill December 30, 2022 Support for businesses to help them cope with swelling energy bills will halve in the spring to avoid taxpayers holding the bag if oil and gas prices surge again, according to The Times. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt next month will announce a 12-month extension to a scheme that caps energy costs for businesses, similar to a [...]
EXCL – Majestic Wine’s CEO John Colley on why 2022 will go down as the year of fizz December 29, 2022 Two years ago Majestic Wine went private, under the ownership of Fortress Investment. As a private entity, the company has enjoyed two years of transformation and the results have not gone unnoticed in the City: record growth and record sales. The Watford-based wine giant also opened a number of new branches and undertook a turn-around plan whilst [...]
The government’s inconsistent approach to net zero is confusing businesses ready for a change December 23, 2022 Faced with labour shortages, rising costs and falling consumer spending, business confidence has dropped to levels not seen since the financial crisis of 2008. The government isn’t doing enough to restore this confidence. And it isn’t preparing businesses for a net zero economy either – which would be the only enduring route to prosperity. A [...]
Jeremy Hunt extends alcohol duty freeze until August December 19, 2022 Planned hikes in alcohol duty have been put off until August, afterJeremy Hunt decided to extend the current freeze a further six months. The chancellor was due to increase duty on beer, wine, cider and spirits by the annual increase in RPI on 1 February. This would have meant an average increase of 7p for [...]
Hunt confirms full fat budget and OBR forecast on 15 March 2023 December 19, 2022 The government will deliver a full fat budget on 15 March next year, chancellor Jeremy Hunt confirmed today. The announcement will be accompanied by an assessment of the impact of the government’s tax and spending plans on the public finances by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). Last month, Hunt delivered what was in effect [...]
Liz Truss, Bill Hwang and Elon Musk: The 2022 awards you don’t want to win December 18, 2022 We started the year with Boris Johnson in Downing Street and optimism for a Covid-19 rebound. It didn’t quite turn out that way – and here’s our pick of the best of the best (or worst of the worst) of 2022… THE MUM OF THE YEAR AWARD This year hasn’t been smooth sailing for e-commerce retail [...]
Nervous buyers see house prices fall in largest monthly dip in four years December 12, 2022 House prices have fallen in the largest monthly dip in four years due to buyer nerves in the wake of economic and political turmoil. The average price of a house coming to the market is down £7,862 this month, a drop of 2.1 per cent, according to Rightmove’s latest house price index. The average price [...]
The best sports cars to buy in 2022 November 18, 2022 We nominate the best sports cars on sale in 2022, from the eccentric Morgan Super 3 to the venerable Porsche 911.
Independent petrol retailers cut prices to lure Brits as wholesale costs ease November 18, 2022 Price competition has returned to the pumps, with independent forecourts offering better petrol deals for Britain's drivers, says the AA.