Why abolishing the share tax must be included in the Autumn Budget September 30, 2025 As the UK approaches another budget this Autumn, the country is still leaving significant growth capital off the table, maintaining the lowest retail investor engagement rate in the G7. From 1963 to 2022, retail participation plummeted from 54 per cent to 10.8 per cent and the proportion of UK households directly owning stocks has halved [...]
Global talent visa: The migrants the UK really wants September 30, 2025 Keir Starmer’s great triumph – perhaps his only success – lies in his smart diplomacy with President Donald Trump. As Trump has moved to obliterate the world order, Starmer has made use of his soft spot for the UK. Now the Prime Minister is being urged to take advantage of Trump’s blind spot. In the [...]
Business sentiment sours as firms brace for tax hikes September 30, 2025 Business sentiment slumped in September as firms were braced for a fresh round of tax hikes in the autumn Budget. Private sector confidence slipped from 54 per cent to 42 per cent, according to the Lloyds Business Barometer survey, data which is typically seen as more cheery than rival surveys. Economic optimism edged down for [...]
Pandora: UK profit slumps as sales slip after record high September 30, 2025 Profit at the UK arm of luxury jewellery brand Pandora has fallen significantly as its sales slipped back from a record high. The London-headquartered division has posted a pre-tax profit of £14.9m for 2024, new accounts filed with Companies House show. The latest total comes after Pandora achieved a pre-tax profit of £61.1m in 2023. [...]
Doing business in Britain is too difficult, too expensive and too uncertain September 30, 2025 Business confidence is at a three-year low and productivity has not improved for 15 years. It is businesses that policymakers must turn to – and fast – to get growth back on track, writes ICAEW chief executive Alan Vallance Whatever your political leanings, we can all agree that the UK faces a challenging economic context. Weak [...]
Retail body warns against tax hikes amid ‘nightmare’ inflation September 30, 2025 Britain’s largest retail business group has warned the Treasury that further tax hikes on businesses will keep shop prices “higher for longer”, after data showed food inflation in September remained at its highest levels since the height of the cost-of-living crisis. British Retail Consortium (BRC) chief executive Helen Dickinson said even if the Chancellor chooses [...]
Will we mourn the loss of WH Smith from the high street? September 29, 2025 So long then, WH Smith, a firm which has graced our high streets for more than a century – even though it never intended to. Founded as a small newspaper kiosk in Mayfair in 1792, the business grew massively in the mid-19th century, spurred by the rapid expansion of the railways, which allowed consumers up [...]
Rachel Reeves warns ‘harder choices’ coming at Budget September 29, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has warned that her choices will be “harder” at this year’s Budget, with questions being raised on whether she will row back on Labour manifesto tax commitments to plug a £30bn shortfall. In a speech at the Labour Party conference, Reeves said that “harsh global headwinds” and the effects of her Tory [...]
Instead of a taxi tax, Reeves should fix the absurd VAT system September 29, 2025 Reeves’ tax grab on taxis highlights the absurdity of the VAT system and raises the question of whether VAT should be levied more consistently across goods and services, says Ben Ramanauskas It has been reported that Rachel Reeves will announce at the Budget that taxi journeys will be subject to VAT. This has drawn criticism [...]
Profit at Jamie Laing’s Candy Kittens slashed after major change September 29, 2025 Profit at Candy Kittens, the cat-shaped confectionary brand owned by Radio One DJ and Made in Chelsea star Jamie Laing, has been slashed after it made a major change in 2024. The business, which specialises in vegetarian and vegan sweets, decided to switch focus to distribute more to grocers in the UK at the end of 2023 and signed [...]