Big Four vs Watchdog: Giants rack up over £154m in fines April 16, 2025 The accountancy regulator has handed over £154m in fines to the Big Four firms over the last five years for audit failures
Inflation expected to ease slightly in March amid uncertain future April 15, 2025 Inflation in the month to March is expected to remain well above the Bank of England’s target rate of two per cent, putting policymakers in an awkward position ahead of a potential interest rate cut in May. A Bloomberg poll of economists said that consumer price inflation (CPI) on a year-on-year basis will hit 2.7 [...]
UK employers cut jobs as tax hikes bite April 15, 2025 High wage growth persisted in the three months to February, official data has shown, but a rapid drop in payrolled employment pointed to concerning trends in the labour market. Annual growth in average weekly earnings excluding bonuses hit 5.9 per cent, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Tuesday. But separate tax data showed [...]
Halfords: Sales jump but retailer warns tariffs could hit supply chain April 15, 2025 Motoring and cycling specialist Halfords has reported an uptick in sales but warned US President Donald Trump’s tariffs could push up costs across its supply chain. The retailer and services provider told markets this morning that sales grew 2.3 per cent in the year to March 28. Its share price rose more than 13 per [...]
‘State of despondency’ as tax raid sets up ‘harrowing year’ for firms April 15, 2025 Business leaders’ worries over Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes have plunged corporate confidence into “ominous territory”, a leading business association has warned. The Chancellor launched a multi-billion pound tax raid on British businesses in the Budget last October, and a new report has suggested that the impact of the hikes is continuing to weigh on [...]
Financial Conduct Authority: Lenders ‘unclear’ on bereavement policy April 14, 2025 Lenders “can improve” their treatment of bereaved customers, the Financial Conduct Authority has said. The City watchdog has published a framework outlining good and poor practice to help firms “provide the right support” to consumers who are facing difficult times. The FCA said the introduction of the Consumer Duty in July 2023 has helped provide [...]
RSA set to rebrand as Intact Insurance April 14, 2025 Four years after its acquisition, the long-established insurer RSA is set to rebrand to match its Canadian owner by the end of this year
Finance bosses predict sharpest hiring drop since 2020 after tariff uncertainty April 14, 2025 Finance bosses expect the sharpest decline in corporate hiring since the third quarter of 2020 as geopolitical risks escalate. A fresh report from Deloitte has showed signs of a waning job market with wage growth expect to slow from 3.6 per cent to three per cent. A net 14 per cent of chief financial officers [...]
‘It’s existential’: Unpacking a looming tax scarier than the National Insurance hike April 13, 2025 For William Fugard, chief executive and co-founder of Gusto Organic, headaches caused by issues beyond his control are an occupational hazard. The terms on which the UK decided to leave the European Union meant that – in 2019 – the cost of exporting a pallet of his firm’s premium soft drinks went from £70 to [...]
UK growth in February smashes low expectations April 11, 2025 The UK economy grew by 0.5 per cent in February, official data has shown, beating forecasters’ expectations by a wide margin. A Bloomberg poll of economists predicted growth to come in at 0.1 per cent for the month. UK GDP grew 0.6 per cent in the three months to February, the Office for National Statistics [...]