‘Packaging tax’ to force further price rises October 1, 2025 UK businesses will be forced to pass the vast majority of costs incurred by a new packaging tax onto consumers, in a move that will stoke already rampant food inflation and compound financial pressures on hard-pressed households. According to fresh figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC), retailers plan to pass over 80 per cent [...]
New green tax labelled ‘own goal’ ahead of Budget September 30, 2025 A new green tax coming into effect this week has been labeled an “own goal” for the Labour government and stoked fears it could lead to prices soaring. The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) levy is designed to increase increasing recycling rates among local authorities, by passing on the costs onto the companies selling the products. [...]
Bank of England’s Breeden says inflation ‘hump’ is transitory September 30, 2025 The Bank of England’s deputy governor has warned keeping interest rates too high could drag inflation below the Bank’s two per cent target in comments that further exposed the divergence that exists among central bank officials over the long-term path of inflation. In a dovish speech delivered at Cardiff Business School, financial stability deputy chief [...]
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 [...]