Keir Starmer U-turns on plans to cancel 30 local elections February 16, 2026 The government has shelved plans to postpone local elections in May for 30 councils in England. Communities secretary Steve Reed says the decision comes “in the light of recent legal advice”, and ahead of a planned High Court hearing that was set for Thursday. According to a letter from the Government Legal Department, shared by [...]
Annabel’s profit trebles as Mayfair club defies hospitality gloom February 16, 2026 One of London’s best-known private members clubs has shrugged off wider hospitality gloom after posting a near-tripling of profit. Mayfair-based Annabel’s, which has been based on Berkeley Square since the 1960s, toasted a pre-tax profit of £12.4m in the year to January 2025, a rise of 184 per cent on the previous year. Revenue over [...]
US alternatives giant leads £150m refinancing at debt-laden Very February 16, 2026 The credit giant that took control of Very from the Barclay family has arranged a £150m funding package for the online retailer ahead of a potential £2bn sale. Carlyle helped arrange an extension and renewal of debt-laden Very’s key credit lines, in a move it said helps secure the group’s long-term funding until 2029. The [...]
Employment Rights Act set to stall hiring, says report February 16, 2026 The government’s new package of employment rights will put a brake on hiring, according to a new report, as businesses worry about the possible risks and costs. More than a third (37 per cent) of businesses surveyed by the the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) plan to reduce hiring permanent staff as a [...]
Inflation tipped to fall to year-low in boost to interest rate cuts February 16, 2026 Inflation is tipped to fall back to its lowest level for nearly a year in a busy week for UK economic data, with hopes the drop will help accelerate the Bank of England’s rate-cutting cycle. Economists are expecting the Office for National Statistics to show a sharp reprieve in the Consumer Price Index – the [...]
Greene King weighs job cuts as pub sector braces for cost squeeze February 15, 2026 Greene King is preparing to cut around 100 roles as Britain’s second-largest pub operator reviews its cost base against a backdrop of rising taxes and mounting pressure across the hospitality sector. The brewer and pub group, which operates roughly 2,600 sites across the UK, is understood to be assessing changes to its head office and [...]
Boozing Six Nations fans to contribute £60m to British pub sector February 13, 2026 Brits boozing during the Guinness Six Nations could boost the British beer and pub sector by £60m. An estimated 12m pints will be sunk during the five-round tournament, which began last weekend, according to the British Beer and Pub Association. The annual rugby union tournament consisting of England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy takes [...]
Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham criticise pub tax raid February 12, 2026 Two prominent potential leadership challengers to Sir Keir Starmer have attacked the government’s tax regime for putting hospitality businesses, and particularly pubs, under serious pressure. Angela Rayner acknowledged that the hike to the minimum wage has put pressure on hospitality businesses, and said that the government needs to “start relieving” the sector. Starmer’s former deputy [...]
Expensify and Xero Enhance Partnership to Support Small Businesses February 12, 2026 The new partnership offers customers Xero for free for six months and six months of Expensify for 50% off.
Close Brothers MD: I started my career working for Gordon Ramsay February 12, 2026 Chiara Caldwell, managing director at Close Brothers, tells us how she went from fine dining to banking in Square Mile and Me.