The Business Secretary is facing accusations of failing to fully engage with Vauxhall’s parent company Stellantis ahead of its decision to close the van-making plant in Luton—a move that puts up to 1,100 jobs at risk.
Category: News
The latest news affecting small and medium sized (SME) businesses in the UK
TalkTalk to axe hundreds of jobs as broadband provider targets £120m cost cuts
TalkTalk will cut hundreds of roles as it seeks to strip out £120m in costs, offload non-core units, and boost automation. The restructuring follows an emergency bailout and aims to stabilise the debt-laden broadband provider’s finances.
Royal Mail enters foreign ownership for the first time in five centuries as Czech billionaire strikes £3.6bn deal
Royal Mail will change hands after 500 years of British ownership as Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky completes a £3.6bn takeover. The Government keeps a “golden share”, staff gain dividend rights and unions welcome a “fresh start”.
Reeves’s business inheritance tax shake-up ‘will cost exchequer £1bn more than it raises’ warn economists
Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s clampdown on inheritance tax relief for family businesses and farms risks a £1bn net loss to the Treasury, economists say, amid warnings of job cuts, reduced investment and a looming recession.
Surrey runs out of state school places for private pupils as VAT raid bites
Surrey County Council has admitted it does not have enough state school places to accommodate children transferring from private schools, following the government’s introduction of a 20 per cent VAT levy on independent education.
Miliband planning shake-up to bypass local opposition in wind farm push
Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, is poised to rewrite Britain’s planning rules to clear the path for a massive expansion of wind and solar energy, effectively reducing local powers to block or alter green energy projects.
Farmers face £600m hit as second-worst harvest on record intensifies pressure
Britain’s farmers are set to collectively lose around £600 million after poor growing conditions produced the second-worst wheat harvest on record.
UK workforce set to hit record low as sickness surge takes toll on jobs market
Britain’s workforce will slide to a record low as growing numbers of people too unwell to work dampen the economy’s future prospects, according to the tax and spending watchdog.
Royal Mail fined record £10.5m for late deliveries
Royal Mail has been fined a record £10.5 million by the postal regulator after delivering more than a quarter of first-class letters late.
UK economy contracts again in October, defying hopes of a rebound
The UK economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1 per cent in October, marking its second consecutive monthly decline, according to official data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
10,000 small business leaders enrol in government-backed management training scheme
More than 10,000 people running small businesses have enrolled in the Help to Grow: Management programme, a government-subsidised training initiative designed to enhance leadership and boost productivity.
UAE buys Mclaren’s automotive business following record losses
Discover how Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund has taken over McLaren’s automotive arm as the British supercar maker faces record losses, ongoing financial strains, and a push towards electrification.
Rent rises slow, offering hope to beleaguered tenants
Discover why UK rent increases are easing for the first time in years, what this means for tenants facing rising costs, and how housing shortages and policy changes may affect the future rental market.
McWin Capital eyes Gail’s in bid to pre-empt £500m auction
Discover why McWin Capital Partners may acquire Gail’s bakery chain before a planned auction, potentially valuing the fast-growing British brand at up to £500 million.
Farmers descend on Westminster amid inheritance tax row as Starmer faces MPs’ questions
Hundreds of farmers gathered in Westminster today, chanting “no farmers, no food” outside Downing Street, as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer faced tough questioning in the Commons over proposed changes to inheritance tax.
