Which taxes hurt growth the most? April 24, 2025 No business enjoys paying taxes. The knock to a company’s bottom line, as well as the costs of compliance with a sprawling regulatory regime, can leave execs foaming at the mouth. But some taxes are more damaging to growth than others. And, according to fresh research, some have virtually no negative economic impact at all. [...]
FTSE 100’s winning streak falters as White House ‘clouds’ market sentiment April 24, 2025 The FTSE 100 slid into the red on Thursday putting the index on course to end an eight-day consecutive run of gains. The blue-chip index was down over one per cent in early trading before a late-morning rebound left it broadly flat at midday. London’s blue-chips soared at the beginning of the week as President [...]
Crisis, debt and a £46bn bailout: Inside Natwest’s return to private ownership April 24, 2025 Natwest is set to end one of British banking’s longest running sagas, as the lender stands inches away from returning to private ownership for the first time in nearly two decades. The FTSE 100 giant has whittled the UK government’s share in the bank to under three per cent, with a full exit expected in [...]
Exclusive: KMPG renews search for UK’s top tech scale-ups April 24, 2025 Professional services giant KMPG has launched its annual competition to identify and support the UK’s most innovative scale-ups, as the sector navigates a challenging investment landscape. Now in its 12th year, the competition has served as a launchpad for a diverse range of startups – from healthtech pioneers to AI disruptors. Previous finalists include notable [...]
Enterprise Rent-A-Car creates over 700 UK jobs as sales pass £2bn April 23, 2025 More than 700 jobs were created by the UK arm of Enterprise Rent-A-Car as rising demand helped sales pass the £2bn mark during its latest financial year. The Surrey-based division of the US giant increased its headcount to 6,778 in the 12 months to 31 July, 2024, according to new accounts filed with Companies House. [...]
Bankrupt, rat-infested Birmingham shows why local government matters April 23, 2025 With local elections across much of England, it’s time we took regional accountability much more seriously, says Simon Clarke Next Thursday, there are local elections across much of England. For many people, these events will pass them by entirely. For others, they will be purely an opportunity to send a message about national politics: it [...]
Iniesta face of FedEx-backed Champions of Business list April 22, 2025 Former Barcelona great Andres Iniesta has thrown himself into the corporate world, as face of the FedEx-backed Champions of Business list. Spaniard Iniesta, who played for Barcelona over 400 times and is an international centurion, is part of the campaign which aims to thrust SMEs into the spotlight. The complete FedEx list includes grassroots football [...]
Littler to headline Hyde Park as darts hits iconic London festival April 22, 2025 Luke Littler will headline The Hyde Park Darts Championship this year as the sport descends on the London park’s summer of festivities. The likes of Stevie Wonder, Neil Young and Sabrina Carpenter will headline on the main stage of the famous London royal park as it hosts a series of major concerts, but The Nuke [...]
Logistics leaders warn business rates reform could drive up high street prices April 22, 2025 A coalition of logistics professionals and long-term industrial investors has warned that changes to the business rates system risks damaging the British high street by pushing up costs. The group, which includes major investors Segro, Prologis and Tritax Big Box, said that the proposal to apply a higher business rates multiplier to more valuable properties [...]
Wework hopeful of revival amid growth in demand for flexible workspaces April 22, 2025 Embattled office company Wework is hopeful of a revival after reporting a jump in demand for flexible workspaces in London. The New York-based business, which collapsed in November 2023 before emerging from bankruptcy last year, said its on-demand bookings – a pay-as-you-go membership option – rose by 30 per cent in London compared to the [...]