Richard Branson says UK must ‘make it easier’ to be an entrepreneur Entrepreneurship Sir Richard Branson has called on policy makers to do more to support and “champion” British entrepreneurs. The founder of Virgin Group, who launched his iconic business selling records in 1970, said the UK must go further to create an environment where entrepreneurs want to set up and run a business. Writing in City AM, [...]
Richard Branson: Support founders to build the next Virgin in Britain Opinion We must give every founder the best chance to flourish, so the future Virgins, Microsofts and Googles of the world are also built by British entrepreneurs, says Sir Richard Branson I was very flattered by Philip Salter’s suggestion that Britain needs another Richard Branson. But beyond the headline, we need to do more to champion [...]
I eat for a living. Can I get fit in 100 days? Life&Style City AM’s Deputy Life&Style Editor Adam Bloodworth reviews restaurants for a living. Can he get fit while still doing his job? Can I get fit in 100 days? I eat for a living. Not like those viral food challengers who eat 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes, but still in a quite ridiculous way that [...]
Monzo goes mobile: UK fintech debuts cell service in tie-up with Virgin Media O2 May 28, 2026 Monzo is set to launch its mobile service this summer in the firm’s latest play at diversifying its income from its traditional digital banking roots. The London-based fintech has sealed a tie-up with Virgin Media O2 and 1Global to kick off ‘Monzo Mobile’ – a phone plan and e-sim offering. Virgin will provide the UK [...]
Hotel tycoon Arora launches revamped Heathrow runway proposal May 18, 2026 The hotel tycoon behind a rival bid to build Heathrow’s third runway has tabled a fresh proposal backed by British Airways and Virgin Atlantic that would build the mega-project in two distinct stages in an effort to keep a lid on costs. Surinder Arora, the billionaire hospitality magnate behind a campaign to reshape Heathrow’s regulatory [...]
UK at ‘greatest risk’ of jet fuel shortage as flights to be cancelled May 2, 2026 Ministers are set to warn the British public that flight cancellations will hit summer holiday plans as new research suggested that the UK is more exposed to jet fuel shortages than other European countries. Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, is set to tell Brits that there could be flight cancellations this year as she will [...]
Virgin wines looks to Gen-Z wine-lovers for growth after suffering loss March 17, 2026 Online retailer Virgin Wines turned a loss but remains confident a surge of Gen-Z drinkers who no longer view wine as “elitist” will push the firm into the black. The wine seller made a £400k pre-tax loss in the first half of the year, down from a £1.3m profit last year, but saw revenue grow [...]
Six Nations in-game ads pave way for football to be split into quarters February 21, 2026 Like many Welsh rugby fans, the highlight of the first round of the Six Nations was the small moment of relief granted by the ad breaks in either half, twenty seconds of respite from giving away penalties, points and accumulating yellow cards. I’m not sure everyone was as pleased to see them as me. They [...]
Virgin Atlantic uses Heathrow slots as collateral for $745m Apollo loan November 13, 2025 Virgin Atlantic has borrowed $745m (£564m) from alternatives giant Apollo in a groundbreaking private credit deal that will see the airline use the value of its landing slots at Heathrow as collateral. Virgin said it would use the funds to pay down a legacy debt and make upgrades worth hundreds of millions of pounds to [...]
Branson-backed Virgin Active slashes losses amid WFH battle October 7, 2025 Virgin Active, the gym chain founded by Sir Richard Branson, has significantly slashed its losses as its battle with the work-from-home trend continues. The business, which runs 224 international locations, has reported a pre-ax loss of £78.1m for 2024, down significantly from the £146.7m it lost in 2023. New accounts filed with Companies House also [...]