The Conservative Party has pledged to scrap mandatory ESG and climate reporting and rein in “woke” regulators if re-elected, as part of plans to revive London’s competitiveness and attract more company listings.
Category: News
The latest news affecting small and medium sized (SME) businesses in the UK
Horse-racing industry faces £10m blow from business rates overhaul
Racing yards and betting shops are among those excluded from new business rate reliefs, leaving the horse-racing industry facing a £10m rise in costs alongside a potential betting tax hike in Rachel Reeves’s upcoming Budget.
Government recoups £74m from asylum accommodation firms amid criticism over ‘chaotic’ hotel contracts
The UK government has recovered £74m from firms accused of making excessive profits from asylum accommodation contracts worth £2.1bn, after MPs condemned the Home Office for its ‘chaotic and costly’ management of migrant housing.
MPs urge Reeves to raise gambling taxes despite industry ‘scaremongering’
MPs on the Treasury select committee have urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to raise taxes on the most addictive gambling products, dismissing industry warnings as “scaremongering” ahead of the November Budget.
UK invests £14m in new quantum projects to boost health, defence and transport innovation
The UK Government has announced more than £14 million in new funding to accelerate the commercial use of quantum technology across healthcare, defence, transport and energy, in a move it says will help power Britain’s next industrial revolution.
ITV confirms talks with Sky over £1.6bn sale of TV channels and ITVX in landmark broadcasting shake-up
ITV has confirmed talks with Sky over a potential £1.6bn sale of its media and entertainment division, including ITVX, in a deal that could reshape the UK broadcasting landscape.
Elon Musk on track to become world’s first trillionaire after Tesla shareholders approve $1tn pay deal
Tesla shareholders have approved a record $1 trillion pay deal for CEO Elon Musk, setting the stage for him to become the world’s first trillionaire if ambitious growth targets are met by 2035.
Bank of England holds interest rates at 4% as Rachel Reeves’ Budget looms
The Bank of England has held interest rates at 4% as policymakers weigh stubborn inflation and weak growth ahead of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ crucial November Budget.
Wealthy investors pour record sums into offshore bonds amid rising UK tax burden
High earners are investing record amounts — £10.5 billion in a year — into offshore bonds in Ireland, Luxembourg and the Isle of Man, as looming UK tax rises drive demand for tax-deferral opportunities.
Ex-John Lewis boss warns UK faces £85bn sickness bill and economic crisis
Sir Charlie Mayfield warns Britain risks an “economic inactivity crisis” as sickness drives 800,000 out of work, costing employers £85bn a year and the economy £212bn.
Carmakers warn company car tax shake-up will cost Treasury £500m
Carmakers warn Rachel Reeves’ plan to tax employee car ownership schemes could cost the Treasury £500m and threaten 5,000 jobs as new car sales fall.
AI firm Stability AI wins High Court case against Getty Images over copyright claims
Stability AI defeats Getty Images in a landmark UK copyright case. Judge rules AI model Stable Diffusion is not an “infringing copy,” fuelling calls for new UK regulation.
Big Short investor Michael Burry places $1.1bn bet against leading AI stocks
Michael Burry, famed for predicting the 2008 crash, bets $1.1bn against Nvidia and Palantir as Wall Street warns of an AI bubble and possible 10% market correction.
Reeves shifts blame for looming tax rise to Brexit and austerity ahead of budgeting storm
Chancellor Rachel Reeves sets the scene for a manifesto-breaking Budget tax raid, blaming Brexit, Tory austerity and global turmoil as she claims the economy ‘is not working as it should’.
OpenAI strikes $38 billion deal with Amazon to supercharge AI computing power
OpenAI has signed a landmark $38 billion agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to secure the immense computing power required to train and deploy its next generation of artificial intelligence systems — marking one of the biggest technology infrastructure deals ever struck.
