Firstgroup’s rail division exceeds expectations April 15, 2025 Firstgroup’s rail business is trading ahead of expectations despite concerns surrounding the UK government’s wide-reaching railway network reforms. The London-listed firm said on Tuesday that fees from the Department for Transport (DfT)’s contracted train operators had proved higher than previously forecast. It has also seen “strong demand” for its open access offering, run by Lumo [...]
Small firm owners are leaving the UK en masse, survey finds April 15, 2025 Small business owners up and down the country are packing their bags to escape a flurry of higher taxes, soaring costs and red tape, fresh data has found. Nearly two in five owners of small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) have either left the UK or are considering an imminent departure, according to a new survey, [...]
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 [...]
UK resilience buoys Robert Walters amid global hiring slowdown April 15, 2025 Recruiter Robert Walters reported a tough first quarter of 2025, amid a global hiring slowdown and persistent economic uncertainty weighing heavily on recruitment activity. The group cited a combination of cautious employer sentiment, escalating trade tariffs, and shifting economic landscape as key factors disrupting the field. Despite the broader slowdown, the UK was the group’s [...]
Income at UK fintech Wise jumps as payment volumes soar April 15, 2025 Money transfer firm Wise posted an increase to fourth quarter income driven by growth in international payments. The fintech, which enables digital payments for consumers and businesses, booked an underlying income of £350m for the fourth quarter. This was a 13 per cent increase from the previous quarter. Cross-border volumes soared 28 per cent to [...]
Grid connection for clean energy firms to be fast-tracked, ministers say April 15, 2025 Grid connections for businesses delivering clean energy are to be prioritised, ministers have said. The government has said so-called ‘zombie projects’ which hold up the queue for National Grid connectivity are set to be axed from the waiting list. While industries including data centres and AI, wind energy and solar projects will be accelerated for [...]
British Steel: What is at stake? April 14, 2025 Government officials were in a race on Monday to secure the critical supply of materials needed to keep British Steel’s two blast furnaces in Scunthorpe running. The site’s closure would spell the end of the final hub in the UK capable of producing virgin steel, making it the only member of the G7 unable to [...]
Former Tory MP among 15 facing charges related to election gambling April 14, 2025 Former Tory MP Craig Williams is one of 15 people who have been charged after bets were placed on the timing of the 2024 general election, the Gambling Commission has revealed. Williams was among a number of people linked to the Conservative Party reported to have made bets on the election date, which was called [...]
Will Zuckerberg have to sell WhatsApp and Instagram? April 14, 2025 Meta Platforms heads to trial on Monday in a landmark antitrust case that could force chief executive Mark Zuckerberg to sell Instagram and WhatsApp – two pillars of its $1.3 trillion (£1 trillion) empire. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has alleged that Meta, then Facebook, illegally bought Instagram in 2012, and WhatsApp two years later, [...]
Two New Additions at One New Change: Open Doors to Unique Shopping Experiences April 14, 2025 London, April 2025 – Two iconic brands, Aesop and John Henric, are set to elevate the retail experience at One New Change, introducing distinct concepts that blend design, sustainability, and style in the heart of the City of London. Nestled amidst the striking modern architecture of One New Change and just a stone’s throw from [...]