SME confidence has slumped in the second quarter as the effects of rising rates and a stalling economy is felt, according to The Federation of Small Business’s (FSB) Small Business Index.
Category: News
The latest news affecting small and medium sized (SME) businesses in the UK
Just Stop Oil protests cost Met Police £7.7M since April
The Metropolitan Police have spent £7.7m policing 13 weeks of Just Stop Oil protests, the force has said.
Ofgem hits SSE with £9.78m fine after breaching licence and raised customers costs
Ofgem has imposed a hefty £9.78m penalty on SSE Generation for securing excessive payments from the UK’s electricity system operator, which was in breach of its licence and raised costs for customers.
Virgin Media O2 to slash up to 2,000 jobs by end of year
British mobile operator Virgin Media O2 has announced plans to lay off up to 2,000 employees by the end of the year.
Train drivers announce new week-long overtime ban
Rail passengers are facing further disruption over the summer holidays after train drivers announced another week-long overtime ban in a long-running dispute over pay.
Gove confirms 2030 date for petrol car ban is ‘immovable,’
The 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel car sales is an immovable deadline, Cabinet minister Michael Gove has insisted after Rishi Sunak cast doubt on the policy.
Nigel Farage: letter from BBC’s chief executive over de-banking story is on the way
THE BBC’s chief executive is expected to contact Nigel Farage in writing today over the inaccurate story about him being de-banked by NatWest subsidiary Coutts.
Elon Musk unveils Twitter rebrand as X with blue bird logo killed off
Twitter has changed its brand and logo from its famous blue bird to “X”.
AI startups among winners of Mayor’s tech challenge to help Londoners through the cost of living crisis
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has announced the winning tech companies and AI firms who will receive funding to bring to life their innovative ideas to support Londoners struggling with the cost of living crisis.
UK announces £680m for new high-speed electric railway in Turkey
UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK government’s export credit agency, has underwritten €781m of financing – equivalent to £680m – to support construction of a 286km high-speed electrified railway across southern Turkey.
Octopus Energy pledges £15bn investment in offshore wind by the end of the decade
Octopus Energy is set to team up with institutional investors to spend $20bn (£15.6bn) on offshore wind projects over the rest of the decade.
Tube strikes cancelled after ‘intense’ talks lead to breakthrough
Strikes by London Underground staff that were due to take place next week have been called off, the RMT and Aslef union has announced.
MPs sets sights on championing UK film industry as Hollywood struggles
Parliament has launched a new inquiry into British film and high-end TV, examining issues around skills and retention as well as challenges posed from the rise of artificial intelligence.
Businesses lack confidence in HMRC’s competence
Business confidence in the HMRC’s competence has fallen markedly as accountants raise “significant concerns” about the accuracy of the information it provides.
UK businesses struggle to recruit staff needed to fill key roles
Employers are still struggling with labour shortages and would need the entire population of Birmingham twice over to fill every vacancy, according to the latest snapshot of Britain’s labour market.
