Food and beverage M&A activity at highest since 2010 October 5, 2021 UK food and beverage M&A market activity was at its highest since 2010 this summer. Deal value between May and August, was at an estimated £3.9bn, according to corporate finance house Oghma Partners’ latest report. The year-to-date total value of recorded deals are estimated at £5.8bn – the nearest annual total was that 2015’s figure [...]
UK hospitality crisis: 75 per cent of pubs and restaurants are hiking pay to attract new staff October 4, 2021 As a worker shortage continues to hamper the sector’s recovery, three quarters of pub and restaurant bosses say they are increasing pay to attract staff. One in six jobs currently lies vacant, and 96 per cent of business leaders were seeing staffing shortages for some roles, according to a survey of 200 senior executives from [...]
Interview: IoD’s new chief economist delivers damning verdict on Tory tax hikes October 4, 2021 After just a month or so into the job, the freshly appointed chief economist of the organisation that represents British business leaders is wasting no time in weighing in on the ails of the UK economy, shooting down one area in particular – tax. Kitty Ussher of the Institute of Directors (IoD) has slammed the [...]
Record high: Energy bills for 15m UK households to increase by at least £139 October 1, 2021 As suppliers grapple with soaring wholesale prices, energy bills for around 15m UK households will increase by at least £139 to a record high from today under Ofgem’s latest price cap. The regulator decided in August that energy customers on default tariffs paying by direct debit will see the sharpest jump in prices since the [...]
Jefferies sets the mood for Wall Street’s quarter with record revenues October 1, 2021 Jefferies reported record revenues for the third quarter and said its dealmaking backlog for the fourth quarter had also reached new heights, in the first results of the season from Wall Street. Total revenues for the quarter hit a record $1.38bn, up 78 per cent from the $777m reported in the same period a year [...]
Hospitality sector urges Chancellor to freeze VAT at current rate to aid recovery October 1, 2021 Hospitality bosses have called on the Treasury to introduce a permanent lower rate of VAT to aid pubs and restaurants’ Covid recovery. The tax on pubs and restaurants rose from 5 per cent to 12.5 per cent today, following the temporary reduction introduced during the coronavirus pandemic. The Treasury’s goal is to return the tax [...]
FSB: Tax hikes risk severing Conservatives’ ties to business – CityAM : CityAM October 1, 2021 The Conservative Party’s ties to British businesses are at risk of being severed by looming tax hikes. The lobby group for British small businesses has slammed the Tories’ plans to raise national insurance at a time when firms across the country are grappling with higher costs and shortages. Also Read: Shortages and spiralling costs deal [...]
Crypto Summit LIVE: Updates from the heart of the City September 30, 2021 Day 2 Yesterday, we were treated to keynote talks from Lord Chris Homes MBE, member of the House of Lords, Marcus Hughes of Coinbase and Alderman William Russell, Lord Mayor of The City of London and more! The day was topped off with an awards ceremony held at St Leonardo’s hotel in London. Closing thoughts [...]
VAT rise likely to hurt hospitality recovery and may cause more permanent closures September 30, 2021 The upcoming 7.5 per cent VAT rise will slow down Covid recovery for the hospitality sector and may lead to a number of additional closures, a SME tax expert told City A.M. today. The Government’s scaling back of its Covid support measure is coming too soon for businesses with little or no cash reserves, according [...]
VAT for hospitality to rise to 12.5 per cent tomorrow September 30, 2021 Hospitality bosses have called for a freeze on increases to VAT, as the tax on pubs and restaurants will rise to 12.5 per cent tomorrow. The 12.5% rate will replace the reduced 5% rate that has applied to hospitality businesses since July 2020. It marks a step in the Treasury’s goal to return the tax [...]