The latest news affecting small and medium sized (SME) businesses in the UK
The ASA has ruled Black Friday adverts from John Lewis, Boots and Debenhams misled shoppers by exaggerating savings, in its latest AI-led pricing crackdown.
CPRE has opened nominations for its Best Rooftop Solar Solution award, recognising SMEs, community groups and innovators delivering clean energy. Entries close 30 June 2026.
Greene King has sold Old Speckled Hen to Estrella Damm owner Damm UK as it retreats from supermarkets and refocuses on its pubs. Inside the deal…
Standard Chartered will axe almost 7,800 back-office roles by 2030, swapping ‘lower-value human capital’ for AI, as UK unemployment climbs to 5% and payrolls slide.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle tells Business Matters he will not bow to corporate lobbying as the Small Business Protections (Late Payments) Bill enters parliament with a…
UK unemployment unexpectedly climbed to 5% as the Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz closure chill hiring, with payrolls down 100,000 in April and vacancies at…
Lloyds Banking Group is reportedly preparing to retire the Halifax brand after 173 years, in one of the biggest shake-ups of the UK high street in…
NatWest commits £20bn over 10 years to the North of England, backing housing, transport, clean energy and devolution as Paul Thwaite makes the case for regional…
UK property taxes have hit 3.7% of GDP, the heaviest burden in any major economy, with business rates revaluations putting SME investment at risk, warns Ryan.
Barclays Eagle Labs names Oxford chip pioneer Fractile and DeepMind spinout Isomorphic Labs among Britain’s top AI start-ups, as UK AI funding tops £8.3bn.
UK AI investment hit a record £8.3bn in 2025, with London home to nearly three quarters of Britain's AI fintech firms, Barclays Eagle Labs research reveals.
UK bookmakers are preparing High Court action over the Gambling Commission's affordability checks, warning of "serious failings", lost tax receipts and a fast-growing black market.
Treasury sources signal Rachel Reeves will drop the Autumn Budget fuel duty hike after FairFuelUK lobbying, a 148,000-signature petition and SME pressure.
Forty UK business organisations led by the BCC and CBI sign a joint letter pledging zero tolerance of workplace antisemitism, as Met chief Sir Mark Rowley…
JCB chairman Lord Bamford warns ministers risk a public revolt over Britain's £333bn welfare bill, accusing Westminster of "conning" taxpayers with payouts of up to £60,000…