Government-run survey casts doubt on Labour’s net zero push October 29, 2025 A government-run survey has cast doubt on Labour’s push for net zero as Brits fear that it would push up living expenses in both the short and long term. The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero’s (DESNZ) own research has suggested that the government is losing the public’s faith in its mission to cut [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Goodwin shares soar, HSBC $1.1bn Madoff hit, Petrofac administration October 27, 2025 Good morning from the City AM liveblog team. Rachel Reeves likes to insist that she will “never play fast and loose with the public finances.” It’s a phrase she deploys quite often, not least when it looks as if the bond market could do with a bit of reassurance, and it means that she won’t [...]
Reeves ‘to raise national living wage’ in extra burden for firms October 25, 2025 Rachel Reeves is set to confirm a rise in the National Living Wage by four per cent at the Budget, according to reports, in an electorally popular decision that could have severe implications for businesses and the wider UK economy. Businesses have repeatedly warned that the double cost of last year’s tax raid on employers’ [...]
Business and Policy Leaders Call for Policies to Unlock London’s Full Economic Potential October 24, 2025 London, 24 October 2025 – Business leaders, policymakers, and industry experts gathered in London for London – Opportunities and Obstacles for Growth, hosted by the Central London Alliance CIC, to discuss the challenges and prospects shaping the capital’s economic future. The event featured six panel discussions covering the key drivers of London’s growth, including finance, [...]
Petroineos: Sir Jim Ratcliffe-backed energy giant loses $250m October 24, 2025 Petroineos, the energy trading company backed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, lost $250m (£187.5m) in 2024 as it slumped into the red for the first time since 2020, it has been revealed. The Jersey-based business has reported the pre-tax loss after posting a profit of $30m in 2023. The results for the previous financial year were [...]
Britain’s inflation problem isn’t global – it’s made in the Treasury October 22, 2025 Reeves can’t keep blaming the last government or global headwinds for doubling inflation – it’s a result of her own policies, says Gareth Davies When the Conservatives left office in 2024, Britain was emerging from an incredibly challenging chapter in our history. Together we navigated the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, subsequent supply-chain shocks and [...]
UK SMEs brace for inflation strain as confidence slips October 22, 2025 Small business (SME) optimism is faltering as sticky inflation, labour shortages and rising borrowing costs pile pressure on firms already stretched by thin margins and political uncertainty. Small business confidence dipped in September, with recent Opinium polling suggesting that UK entrepreneurs are increasingly uneasy about the months ahead. The latest figures from the National Federation [...]
Aston Martin F1 loses £190m in five years October 22, 2025 Aston Martin F1’s most recent loss of £46m has pushed their cumulative five-year deficit to £190m. The Lawrence Stroll-owned Formula 1 team saw revenue rise by 16 per cent for the financial year to 31 December 2024 while cost of sales also rose. But the pit garage housing both Fernando Alonso and Stroll’s son Lance [...]
Housing secretary Steve Reed ‘overly optimistic’ for betting jobs on housing targets October 22, 2025 The government’s housing secretary, Steve Reed, continues to be optimistic about the chance of a pledge to build 1.5m new homes in England despite mounting concern about delays. Earlier this week, Reed said that he would “absolutely” meet the goal and widespread scepticism would make “celebration all the sweeter”, he told BBC Panorama. “My job should be on [...]
Inflation set to hit double Bank of England’s target October 20, 2025 The UK’s isolated struggles with price growth are set to hit a new milestone on Wednesday as consumer price index (CPI) inflation will surge to double the Bank of England’s target rate. In more troubling news for the Treasury and the Bank’s interest rate-setters, inflation is forecast to hit four per cent in the year [...]