Independent high street shops could take brunt of national insurance hike November 28, 2024 Independent high street shops could face the worst of Rachel Reeves’ tax raid as a direct result of the hike in employers’ National Insurance Contributions (NICs), a new analysis shared with City AM has found. The analysis, commissioned by small business platform Enterprise Nation, revealed the impact of the 1.2 per cent hike in employers’ [...]
Travelodge turns to robot vacuums amid budget hotel chain facing £21m costs hike November 28, 2024 Travelodge has revealed it is facing a £21m hike in costs in 2025 following Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget. The budget hotel group has warned it will see the increase because of the combined impact of another minimum wage hike in April as well as a higher rate of employer national insurance set to push up [...]
Direct Line shares surge after £3.3bn Aviva takeover approach November 28, 2024 Shares in Direct Line surged as much as 40 per cent on Thursday morning after the insurer rejected a £3.3bn takeover approach from larger rival Aviva.
Direct Line rebuffs ‘highly opportunistic’ approach from Aviva November 27, 2024 In a stock exchange announcement, Aviva confirmed that it had submitted an offer last week, which valued the FTSE 250 firm at 250p per share.
Dunelm boss: A rise in the living wage is good for our company November 27, 2024 The boss of Dunelm has said that an above-inflation increase to the minimum wage will have a positive effect on the home furnishings giant, despite a flurry of retailers decrying the increased bill. Dunelm chief executive Nick Wilkinson said that the resulting increase in consumer confidence – due to higher disposable income – will ripple [...]
Starmer refuses to rule out further tax rises or more borrowing November 27, 2024 Sir Keir Starmer has refused to rule out further tax rises or additional borrowing when challenged to repeat his Chancellor’s pledge not to “come back with more”. During Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Conservative opposition leader Kemi Badenoch asked Starmer about Rachel Reeves’ words. She said: “At the Confederation [...]
Pets at Home: Shares crater after retailer predicts slow growth in ‘subdued market’ November 27, 2024 Animal care retailer Pets at Home described the market as subdued due to cautious consumers, and said it will grow more slowly than expected in the next six months – despite a big hit from the Budget. Shares fell more than 10 per cent in early trades, with the retailer’s share price now down nearly [...]
Mitchells & Butlers: All Bar One operator set for £100m Budget tax hit November 27, 2024 All Bar One owner Mitchells & Butlers has become the latest hospitality business to warn of higher costs due to the tax changes outlined in Labour’s inaugural Budget at the end of October. The group made the comments within its full year results release for the year to 28 September 2024, which was published this [...]
Data and talent drive the insurance sector November 27, 2024 Aon’s Jason Noronha explains how the company uses data to gain an edge over competitors. Aon has grown to become one of the world’s foremost insurance institutions, but the company cannot rest on its laurels. Technology is increasingly shaping the direction of the industry, helping companies streamline their operations while enhancing the proposition for customers. [...]
FTSE 100 tax contribution hits £90bn amid warnings against further hikes November 27, 2024 PwC estimated that firms in the 100 Group contributed a total of £93.3bn to the Exchequer in the 2023/24 financial year.