Mortgage lenders risk reputational damage if they fail to help customers who are struggling under the weight of rising borrowing costs, a leading credit rating agency has warned.
Category: News
The latest news affecting small and medium sized (SME) businesses in the UK
City centres see boost as footfall bounces back after rail strikes
Footfall bounced back strongly last week as workers returned to offices after several days of rail strikes, in the latest sign of a recovery for Britain’s city centres.
Amazon workers in Coventry announce seven more days of strike action
Amazon workers at a warehouse in Coventry have announced seven more days of strike action as they continue their push for better pay.
Union rejects ‘dreadful’ pay deal as Lynch promises to prolong strike misery
The biggest rail workers’ union has rejected what the Transport Secretary has described as the “best and final offers” aimed at resolving the long-running disputes over pay, jobs and conditions.
Tech Nation lines up potential buyers for assets as closure looms
Start-up group Tech Nation has reportedly lined up a host of potential bidders for its assets as it prepares to close down in March following the government’s controversial move to hand its funding to Barclays.
Pub insolvencies jump 83 per cent as rising energy bills force them to call time
Britain’s pubs are at “breaking point”, hospitality chiefs have warned, after new figures reveal that the number of pub and bar insolvencies has risen 83 per cent in the last year.
Farmers received less than 0.5% of post-Brexit money last year
Cuts to post-Brexit farming payments mean farms risk “going out of business” as new figures reveal only a tiny fraction of slashed EU subsidies went to agriculture businesses last year.
NatWest poised to report biggest profits since 2008 financial crisis
NatWest is set to reveal its largest annual profit since the 2008 financial crisis amid speculation that the taxpayer-backed bank will ramp up the size of its bonus pool just as consumers struggle with the cost of living crisis.
Rising costs and consumer woes blight business outlook
Businesses remain pessimistic about the outlook for the economy after a sharp decline in output last month prompted many to scrap any hiring plans they had.
Reserved signs set to go up across high street
When it opened its main London outlet on Oxford Street in central London in 2017, Reserved hinted that further expansion plans would follow.
Companies desperate to recruit skilled workers push up salaries
The economy may be heading for recession and the jobs market is showing signs of cooling, but employers are still struggling to find enough workers, which is likely to push up salaries again this year.
Cost of living blamed for jump in credit card fraud
Credit card companies last year had to deal with more fraudulent applications than ever before as people tried to get hold of more money to cope with the soaring cost of living.
Scottish salmon has become UK’s biggest food export
Scottish salmon was the UK’s biggest food export in 2022, new HMRC figures have revealed.
Sunak and Hunt to host 200 UK industry leaders in investment push
Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt will host some of the UK’s most prominent industry leaders on Friday as part of a drive to drum up fresh investment to revive the UK’s struggling economy.
NatWest to end new business loans for oil and gas extraction
NatWest has announced it will stop offering loans to new customers hoping to fund oil and gas exploration, extraction or production projects, as part of a wider climate transition plan due to be unveiled next week.
