The latest news affecting small and medium sized (SME) businesses in the UK
In a recent development, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has criticised large employers advocating for a shift in apprentice levy funds, highlighting potential repercussions for young apprenticeships. Here’s a breakdown of the situation and its implications for businesses.
The UK is gearing up to trial its first electric flying taxis by 2026, a move that could see these futuristic modes of transport in regular use by the end of the decade, according to government sources.
The highly anticipated criminal fraud trial of Mike Lynch is set to commence in San Francisco today.
In a positive turn of events, economic growth has become more widespread across the UK’s private sector, reaching a ten-month high in February.
The UK music industry has initiated its first legal action against AI “deepfake” technology, targeting a start-up that produces songs emulating the voices of renowned musicians like Amy Winehouse, Rihanna, and Drake.
Naked Wines, the online wine retailer listed in London, has taken a strategic step by engaging debt advisers to explore potential refinancing solutions in response to challenging market conditions.
The government is facing censure from the National Audit Office (NAO) over insufficient progress in encouraging households to transition to clean heating, with uptake of heat pumps falling significantly short of expectations.
The Post Office will no longer be responsible for administering compensation for victims impacted by the flawed Horizon software.
As the looming deadline for £190 million in debt owed by Kemble Water, the parent company of Thames Water, approaches, a consortium of lenders has taken proactive steps by engaging the services of EY, a leading accountancy firm, to guide them through the negotiation process.
Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group is set to trim its workforce at its London headquarters as part of a consolidation effort involving two of his enterprises.
European Union countries have reached a consensus on a law mandating companies to ensure that their supply chains do not contribute to environmental degradation or exploit forced labour.
The Liberal Democrats are advocating for a new tax on share buybacks by large companies, echoing Joe Biden’s policy, as they gather for their spring conference in York.
Nikhil Rathi, the chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has sparked a backlash from consumers after indicating that the regulator would not intervene if banks opted to charge for current accounts.
Inflation in the UK is projected to have decelerated to a two-year low in February, and economists are cautioning that the Bank of England’s 2 per cent target may not be met in the upcoming months.
More than a thousand unionized staff at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) are poised to vote on potential industrial action in response to proposed changes that would require them to be in the office at least two days a week.
