Inflation remains a headache on both sides of the Atlantic January 22, 2026 Donald Trump made many claims in his Davos speech yesterday and there aren’t enough pages in this newspaper to do justice to them all, but his assertion that “inflation has been defeated” is worth considering. With midterm elections coming up Trump knows the cost of living is a real concern, just as it is here, [...]
I Squared Announces Launch of Radiant Energy Solutions January 22, 2026 I Squared Capital (“I Squared”), a leading global infrastructure investment manager, announced today the launch of Radiant Energy Solutions (“Radiant”), an investment from I Squared’s Middle East infrastructure strategy, which is focused on targeting transformational, mid-market investments in the region. Reflecting I Squared’s platform-building approach of starting with a core initial investment and scaling over [...]
Wetherspoon shares sink after business rates knock profit January 21, 2026 Wetherspoon shares slumped on Wednesday after the pub giant laid bare the scale of the financial hit from November’s tax-raising Budget. The FTSE 250 member said cost rises across energy, wages, repairs and business rates had put up costs by a staggering £45m in the 25 weeks to mid-January. That would imply a cost rise [...]
Water firms to get ‘MOT checks’ in regulatory overhaul January 20, 2026 Water companies are set to receive “MOT checks” on the quality of their infrastructure in a fresh regulatory overhaul aimed at preventing crumbling pipes, mishandled sewage and unreliable services. Utilities businesses will receive “health checks” to assess the quality of pumps and pipes by a new water regulator set to be introduced under the government’s [...]
Small businesses ditch green agenda as ‘survival’ becomes priority January 20, 2026 Small businesses are ditching green finance initiatives as “ensuring survival” becomes a bigger focus for firms amid the pressures of rising costs. The latest business growth tracker from Natwest showed prioritising of sustainability was at an all time low among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by the end of 2025. Just 30 per cent of [...]
Inflation expected to inch back up due to travel rush January 19, 2026 Inflation is expected to edge back up as higher airfares and tobacco prices are squeezing British families’ budgets and adding to pressures on the cost of living. A Bloomberg poll of economists has predicted consumer price index (CPI) inflation to hit 3.3 per cent rate for the year to December, which would be higher than [...]
UK inflation faces December bump from travel and food costs January 18, 2026 UK inflation may have edged higher at the end of last year, with Christmas travel and higher duties pushing up prices, economists have warned. Several forecasters expect the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) to have ticked up in December after falling sharply in November. Economists at Pantheon Macroeconomics say they expect inflation to rise to 3.3 [...]
Urban Pubs & Bars launches acquisition spree after strong Christmas sales January 16, 2026 Urban Pubs & Bars has embarked on an aggressive acquisition spree as the London-based hospitality group toasted strong demand over the Christmas season. This week the company announced it had acquired The Birdcage in East London from Brewdog, marking its sixth acquisition of 2026. The deal follows the recent completion of five premium hospitality venues [...]
UK CfD AR7 Results Signal New Realities for Offshore Wind Economics Ahead of AR8 — Aegir Insights January 16, 2026 The UK government yesterday published the results of the highly anticipated Contracts for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round 7 (AR7), highlighting both sustained appetite for UK offshore wind and the growing complexity of delivering competitive, bankable bids. The allocation round awarded a record 8.4 GW of offshore wind capacity across eight projects after the government increased [...]
Rising Fraud Puts Half of UK Retailers at Risk of Closing or Scaling Back in 2026, New Research From payabl. Finds January 16, 2026 Rising fraud is putting significant pressure on UK retailers, with half of businesses at risk of closing or scaling back in the year ahead, new research finds. The research from leading European financial technology provider payabl.’s Fraud in Europe report shows that the impact of fraud on retailer operations, margins and customer trust has become [...]