B&M shares tumble as boss vows to ‘correct operational weakness’ October 7, 2025 Shares in B&M have tumbled after the discount retailer reported sliding profits. The groups chief executive vowed to “correct the operational weaknesses” as the firm warned it expects to report pre-tax earnings of £198m in the six months to end September, a drop of 28 per cent on last year, while UK revenues were up [...]
‘Disappointment’ and muted activity: Dealmakers sour on UK market October 7, 2025 UK dealmakers’ faith in the economy has slumped to its lowest in nine years with executives blaming a string of policy blunders and a sluggish deal environment for weighing on market activity. Over half of Britain’s private equity and corporate finance bosses feel negative about the next 18-24 months, according to a fresh poll of [...]
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Asda credit card firm Jaja Finance warns of ‘material uncertainty’ over going concern status October 7, 2025 The firm behind the Asda credit card has warned of “material uncertainty” over its ability to continue as a going concern after reporting widening losses, City AM can reveal. Jaja Finance, a fintech co-owned by billionaire Mohsin Issa and private equity firm TDR Capital, said it had “substantially advanced” but not yet completed a new [...]
Autumn Budget: Why are banks in Rachel Reeves’ tax crosshairs? October 7, 2025 The “pass the parcel” of Budget speculation has fallen back into the lap of the banking industry with the nation’s top lenders finding themselves as a potential subject of a November cash grab. Fresh reports have indicated Rachel Reeves is actively considering a raid on Britain’s banking giants – even as she continues to make [...]
Tories vow to ease IR35 rules and cut red tape for small businesses October 6, 2025 Identification checks for small businesses would be eased under a new Tory pledge to slash red tape and allow entrepreneurs to open bank accounts at a quicker pace. Andrew Griffith, the shadow business secretary, will tell party members that the Tories would make growth among small businesses central to wider economic plans as they would [...]
Mel Stride pledges sweeping tax cuts for businesses and young people October 6, 2025 Mel Stride has pledged to make sweeping tax cuts for businesses and young house buyers if the Tories are re-elected, in a speech talking up the party’s economic plans for the coming years. In a speech setting out the Tories’ commitment to keep public spending under control and lower costs for businesses, Stride accused Labour [...]
Construction sector hit by waning activity ahead of Budget October 6, 2025 Business activity expectations in the construction industry have fallen to the lowest since the end of 2022 as companies remained glum on future outlook ahead of the Autumn Budget. The latest Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) from S&P Global showed construction output showed the industry hit its highest level for three months at 46.2 – though [...]
Economists ask Labour to prioritise planning reform and cut tax to boost growth October 6, 2025 A survey of economists and policy experts has put pressure on Labour to “spend political capital” on planning reform to encourage more home building and on reforming the welfare system, reflecting the urgency of the government’s mission to grow the economy. A centre-left think tank focused on growth policy, the Centre for British Progress, has [...]
Jaguar Land Rover restarts engine production after cyberattack October 6, 2025 Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has restarted manufacturing at its Wolverhampton engine plant, making a key step in recovering from its major cyberattack that forced the British automaker to halt production for over a month. The car giant confirmed it had begun a “controlled, phased restart of operations” following the attack, which hit its IT systems [...]