New car market ‘growing back and growing green’ with EV surge – but rate hikes peak concern July 5, 2023 Britain’s new car market recorded its 11th consecutive month of growth in June with registrations rising 25.8 per cent – but it might not be smooth driving in the near future. Just under one million new cars were registered in the first half of 2023, up 18.4 per cent on the previous 2022, according to [...]
Teachers need the help of parents to come out of this time of crisis for education July 5, 2023 Teachers are leaving the profession in droves, and those who aren't are currently on strike. The education sector needs the support of parents to exit from this time of crisis, writes Maria Taylor
Public ‘expect’ council staff to work full five-day week, Michael Gove says July 4, 2023 Michael Gove has said people “expect” council staff to be working a full five-day week, amid a row over the government telling a local authority to cease a four-day week trial. The levelling up secretary has said he is a “strong believer” in the rule that council employees should be working Monday to Friday. It [...]
Brits spend £4.1bn drinking beer at home during cost of living and price of a pint crises July 4, 2023 Brits are staying at home and cracking open cold beers from the fridge, as twin cost of living and price of a pint crises change drinkers’ habits. New research out today show a 25 per cent surge in beer sales in supermarkets and shops outside local boozers, during the cost of living crisis. While the [...]
INEOS boss Sir Jim Ratcliffe brands CMA ‘increasingly hostile to business’ after $1bn deal snub July 4, 2023 INEOS chair Sir Jim Ratcliffe has lashed out at Britain’s competition watchdog for being “increasingly hostile” to business – after it blocked a $1bn deal involving his firm. The business titan who founded the private chemicals giant made his comments after the Competition and Markets Authority prevented INEOS’ acquisition of Sika AG, a concrete additives [...]
Sainsbury’s: ‘Food inflation starting to fall’ as supermarket giant reports grocery sales surge by 11 per cent July 4, 2023 Sainsbury’s has claimed “food inflation is starting to fall” as it recorded an 11 per cent hike in grocery sales in the first leg of the year. The ‘Big Four’ grocer, recorded an inflation-led 9.8 per cent like-for like-increase in total retail sales excluding fuel in the first quarter of the year up from 4 [...]
ULEZ expansion will push building businesses over the brink, warns industry boss July 4, 2023 The boss of the British Merchants Federation (BMF) has warned that outer London building businesses hit by ULEZ charges could face closure or move if the 29 August expansion goes ahead as planned. John Newcomb, chief executive of the trade association BMF, told City A.M.: “My biggest concern is that you would see closure of [...]
Explainer: Labour’s plans for education, from breakfast clubs to private schools July 3, 2023 This week is very much education and health week. We celebrate the 75th anniversary of the NHS on Wednesday, while teachers go on strike on the same day and on Friday too. Labour is focusing on education, with a big speech from Keir Starmer expected later this week on opportunities and access. This means Shadow [...]
CMA takes aim at supermarkets for weakening fuel price competition – as Brits pay nearly £1bn more for fuel July 3, 2023 Increased supermarket profit margins led to drivers paying almost £1bn more for fuel last year, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has found. Following a year long investigation, the watchdog said today that average supermarket fuel margins rose by 6p per litre between 2019 and 2022, with £900m syphoned out of customers pockets in total. [...]
Sainsbury’s results: Will efforts to keep prices low pay off? July 3, 2023 Investors will turn their focus to Sainsbury’s first quarter trading update on Tuesday to see how shoppers are reacting to the impact of food inflation amid the cost of living crisis. The supermarket is expected to post a jump in revenues driven by higher grocery sales over the quarter to June. Analysts at Shore and [...]