Sir Jim Ratcliffe is fighting to stabilise Ineos under £18bn of debt as bond prices fall, ratings are cut and Wall Street vulture funds circle the chemicals giant.
Category: News
The latest news affecting small and medium sized (SME) businesses in the UK
Budget tax raid on salary sacrifice schemes rattles business confidence
CBI survey finds 73% of UK firms say Rachel Reeves’s salary sacrifice tax raid is the most damaging Budget measure, hitting pensions and growth confidence.
AI helps hospitals tackle A&E bottlenecks as NHS rolls out demand-forecasting technology
Hospitals across England are using AI to predict A&E demand, helping reduce waiting times and ease pressure on NHS staff as part of the government’s AI Exemplars programme.
Tories press Labour over Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged role in RBS commodities sale
Conservatives are pressing Labour to disclose any links between Jeffrey Epstein and Lord Mandelson over the £1.7bn sale of RBS’s Sempra commodities business in 2010.
Anti-fraud crackdown triggers sharp fall in new company registrations
New Companies House identity verification rules have cut UK company registrations by around 30%, as experts warn fraudsters are already adapting tactics.
Business is ‘right to be worried’ by Reform UK, warns Labour’s Liam Byrne
Labour MP Liam Byrne says businesses are right to be concerned about Reform UK’s economic plans and should demand far greater scrutiny as the party courts investors.
Poundland turns to emergency overdraft after concerns over discount retailer’s recovery
Discount retailer Poundland is set to tap a £30m emergency overdraft after a sharp fall in festive footfall, as new owner Gordon Brothers presses ahead with a major restructuring plan.
Farmers’ anger grows as Australian beef floods into Britain after trade deal
British farmers warn they are being undercut as Australian beef and lamb imports surge following the UK-Australia free-trade deal, with volumes rising sharply since 2023.
Entrepreneur forged documents in failed bid to seize control of Yodel, High Court rules
A High Court judge has ruled that entrepreneur Jacob Corlett likely forged share warrants in an attempt to regain control of parcel firm Yodel, dealing a major blow to his legal challenge against InPost.
The Museum of Failure is coming to the UK – and Britain’s flops are centre stage
The Museum of Failure is coming to the UK, showcasing iconic British flops from the Titanic to Brexit – and challenging how we think about innovation and risk.
Boxing Day sales set to fall by £1bn as cost-of-living pressures bite
UK Boxing Day sales are forecast to fall by £1bn this year as cost-of-living pressures curb spending, despite shoppers using AI tools to hunt for better deals.
UK set to become world’s fifth-largest economy by 2040, but living standards slip
The UK is forecast to overtake Japan to become the world’s fifth-largest economy by 2040, according to new CEBR projections, despite a continued decline in living standards relative to peers.
US economy grows at fastest pace in two years as consumer spending surges
The US economy expanded at an annualised 4.3% in the third quarter of 2025, its strongest performance in two years, driven by resilient consumer spending despite slowing investment growth.
City financier Alan Howard joins exodus of UK billionaires to Switzerland
Brevan Howard founder Alan Howard becomes latest UK billionaire to relocate to Switzerland
Former mineworkers celebrate ‘historic’ £100-a-week pensions boost
Thousands of former mineworkers are receiving a £100-a-week pension increase and lump sums averaging £5,500 after the government handed over a £2.3bn reserve fund, ending a decades-long dispute.
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