Business rates to more than double in ‘final blow’ to UK retailers January 21, 2025 Business rates are set to rise more than 140 per cent for thousands of high street businesses across the UK in yet another cost pressure for brick-and-mortar businesses. Business rates, which are levied on all commercial properties, were cut by 75 per cent in 2022 as high street stores found themselves unable to cope during [...]
UK economy: Has the Budget broken the jobs market? January 21, 2025 Unemployment rose to 4.4 per cent in the three months to November, up from 4.3 per cent previously and the highest since last May.
Marshalls: Recovery in construction to ‘build throughout the year’ January 21, 2025 Housing industry supplier Marshalls has said it expects the construction industry to recover in 2025 after struggling over the past few years. But the firm still said its outlook remained “cautious” due to “continued market uncertainty” as well as the impact of an increase in costs from higher National Insurance contributions. Marshalls faces a £3m increase [...]
UK motorsport businesses missing out on corporation tax relief January 21, 2025 The heart of the UK’s Formula 1 and motorsport hub could be paying unnecessarily high tax rates because they’re unaware of free relief available to them, a new study has revealed. Less than 10 per cent of firms are claiming Patent Box relief in the motorsport corridor of the UK, which houses the likes of [...]
The FTSE 100 has hit another new high. Next stop 9,000? January 20, 2025 The FTSE 100 has hit another all-time high today of 8,548.59, the second time in two trading days the blue-chip index has hit a record. For the first time, the FTSE 100 passed the 8,500 barrier last week, off the back of hopes that the Bank of England might cut interest rates more aggressively than [...]
Back to the office helps City of London’s tallest tower to full capacity January 20, 2025 The City’s tallest tower, 22 Bishopsgate, has been fully let after four years as the financial district continues to prove its ability to command premiums for best-in-class sustainable spaces. There’s little sign of the gloom pervading other areas of the commercial office sector in the City, with rents at 22 Bishopsgate the highest ever achieved [...]
‘Unsustainable’ sickness benefits cost UK more than defence, Lords warn January 20, 2025 The UK is spending more on “financially unsustainable” sickness benefits than defence, and “urgent” reform to the welfare system is needed to rein in costs, a group of Lords has said. In a letter to the work and pensions secretary, Liz Kendall, the cross-party Lords Economic Affairs committee said the current benefits system penalises people [...]
Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes pose ‘major threat’ to UK labour market resilience January 20, 2025 The government's tax hike pose a "major threat" to the health of the labour market, a leading economist has warned.
Lessons from Trump to make Britain great again January 20, 2025 While American entrepreneurs feel the winds of optimism, British businesses remain trapped by regulation that is slowly strangling our economic potential. Donald Trump has shown it doesn’t have to be this way, says Simon Dolan The world is bracing itself for a disruptive era of change, as Donald Trump prepares to take the reins of [...]
It’s Blue Monday, so what does 2025 look like for insolvencies? January 20, 2025 Today is supposedly the most depressing of the year, and businesses appear to be lacking confidence too, says Sarah Rayment Today is Blue Monday, supposedly the most depressing day of the year, when the reality of gloomy weather, Christmas debt and post-holiday blues all kick-in. But it’s not just individuals feeling the effects, business confidence [...]