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All 17 companies that took part in the latest UK trial of a four-day working week have opted to continue with the model or a variation of it, after seeing benefits in staff wellbeing, mental health and productivity.

All companies trialling four-day working week opt to keep it after successful pilot

3 July 2025 News Jamie Young 0 Comments

All 17 companies in the UK’s latest four-day working week trial will continue with reduced hours after reporting improved wellbeing, productivity and job satisfaction.

Frasers Group secures potential £3.5bn war chest to fund growth and acquisitions

3 July 2025 News Jamie Young 0 Comments

Frasers Group replaces existing loans with new £3.5bn banking facility, signalling confidence in its expansion strategy and potential for further acquisitions.

Amazon’s use of warehouse robots has surged to more than one million, putting them on par with the number of human workers and signalling a pivotal shift in the ecommerce giant’s operations towards AI-driven automation.

Amazon’s robots on verge of outnumbering human warehouse staff as AI ramps up

2 July 2025 News Jamie Young 0 Comments

Amazon now has over 1 million robots in its warehouses—matching its human workforce—as it ramps up AI-driven automation and reshapes jobs across the company.

Santander has announced a £2.65 billion all-cash deal to acquire TSB from Spanish rival Sabadell, marking another significant move in the wave of UK banking consolidation.

Santander agrees £2.65bn deal to buy TSB from Sabadell

2 July 2025 News Jamie Young 0 Comments

Santander agrees £2.65bn deal to acquire TSB from Spain’s Sabadell, beating Barclays in latest move amid accelerating UK banking consolidation.

Royal Mail has today launched a new £1 million apprenticeship levy gifting fund to help small businesses across the UK tackle skills shortages and unlock growth opportunities.

Royal Mail unveils £1 million fund to support apprenticeships in small businesses

2 July 2025 News Jamie Young 0 Comments

Royal Mail pledges £1m in apprenticeship levy gifting to help small UK businesses tackle skills gaps and drive growth, alongside launch of new Small Business Hub.

Britain's leading bakery chain, Greggs, has encountered technical difficulties with payments, resulting in the closure of some of its stores.

Greggs shares fall sharply as June heatwave hits sales and profits

2 July 2025 News Jamie Young 0 Comments

Greggs warns of lower annual profits after June heatwave dents footfall and sales, sending shares down 13% and raising concerns over growth strategy.

UK tech giants including Google, Amazon and Palantir discussed subcutaneous trackers, AI advisors and robot wardens with ministers to tackle prison overcrowding—sparking human rights concerns.

Tech giants propose under-skin tracking and AI policing in radical justice overhaul

1 July 2025 News Jamie Young 0 Comments

UK tech giants including Google, Amazon and Palantir discussed subcutaneous trackers, AI advisors and robot wardens with ministers to tackle prison overcrowding—sparking human rights concerns.

Senior UK industry figures have issued a stark warning over the government’s new packaging tax, branding it “horrific” and economically damaging.

Industry chiefs sound alarm over ‘horrific’ packaging tax threatening UK businesses

1 July 2025 News Jamie Young 0 Comments

UK industry leaders warn the new Extended Producer Responsibility packaging tax will push up prices, hurt SMEs, and drive production abroad. Defra finalises fees ahead of October rollout.

The Crown Estate has reported a record £1.1 billion in net revenue profit for the second consecutive year, thanks largely to a surge in offshore windfarm “option fees” paid by developers. However, the King’s property company has warned this windfall will soon pass, with profits expected to “normalise” from 2026.

Crown Estate matches record profits on windfarm windfall but warns boom is temporary

1 July 2025 News Jamie Young 0 Comments

The Crown Estate posts record £1.1bn net profit for a second year, fuelled by offshore windfarm fees. But CEO warns the windfall is temporary, with profits expected to normalise from 2026.

Rachel Reeves is under pressure to ramp up government spending on research and development (R&D) to £30 billion by the end of the decade, as business leaders warn that the UK risks falling behind global innovation powerhouses.

Reeves to cut cash ISA allowance in push to revive UK capital markets

1 July 2025 Finance, News Jamie Young 0 Comments

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to cut the cash ISA allowance to encourage investment in UK equities, prompting backlash from savings providers and finance experts.

Business leaders’ confidence in the UK economy has fallen sharply, as the full impact of government tax increases and rising cost pressures begins to take hold, according to the latest data from the Institute of Directors (IoD).

Confidence in short supply among bosses as tax hikes shake business outlook

1 July 2025 News Jamie Young 0 Comments

UK business confidence fell sharply in June 2025, with investment and hiring intentions hit by tax rises and cost pressures, according to the Institute of Directors.

The second day of the £122 million High Court showdown between PPE Medpro and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) saw intense cross-examination of two key civil servants, exposing contradictions, confusion, and admissions of oversight within the government’s emergency PPE procurement process.

DHSC accused of wasting PPE Medpro gowns as experts reveal missed £85m resale opportunity

30 June 2025 News Paul Jones 0 Comments

Day 9 of the PPE Medpro trial revealed that the UK government made no effort to repurpose or sell surplus gowns—worth up to £85m—despite sitting on 10 years’ worth of stock.

Barclays is back in court this week seeking to overturn a landmark Financial Ombudsman ruling concerning undisclosed commission payments in motor finance—a case that could open the floodgates to hundreds of millions of pounds in compensation claims.

Barclays launches appeal over motor finance commission ruling

30 June 2025 News Jamie Young 0 Comments

Barclays is back in court to appeal a ruling by the Financial Ombudsman over secret commissions in motor finance, amid fears of a £250m compensation bill.

Bonuses force Jonathan Ross’ talent agency into the red despite revenue growth

30 June 2025 Entrepreneurs, News Jamie Young 0 Comments

Talent agency Off The Kerb Productions, which represents Jonathan Ross and Michael McIntyre, posts a £1.8m loss despite turnover rising to £51.7m—bonuses to staff cited as key reason.

unions seek £200m from ministers to safeguard scunthorpe steelworks as blast furnaces face closure Unions are calling on the UK government to inject £200 million into British Steel, in a last-ditch attempt to keep its two blast furnaces in Scunthorpe running until electric arc replacements can be brought online. The trade union Community warns that without additional support, the rapid shutdown of Scunthorpe’s coal-fuelled blast furnaces could spark nearly 2,000 immediate job losses. the push for a ‘just transition’ British Steel, owned by Chinese group Jingye, is already committed to installing cleaner electric arc furnaces (EAFs) in Scunthorpe. However, union leaders fear that the abrupt closure of blast furnaces, without an interim plan, will devastate Lincolnshire’s local economy and eliminate key steelmaking capabilities prematurely. Roy Rickhuss, Community’s general secretary, described the plan as a “roadmap towards a just transition” and a way to avoid a “destructive cliff-edge” in job cuts. He believes government intervention to cover an extra £200 million in carbon costs, which are levied on large polluters, could keep both blast furnaces running and maintain income streams until EAFs are operational. Syndex, the consultancy commissioned by Community, backs the union’s case. It argues that government support to fund the short-term costs of carbon is the only way to make operating both furnaces “financially viable.” Maintaining just one furnace or closing them both would prove too costly, Syndex warns, especially considering the high fixed costs and potential loss of critical raw material access. uncertainty around government support The request follows a separate move by the government to provide around £500 million to India’s Tata Steel for upgrading the Port Talbot plant in Wales, a deal that included the closure of its blast furnaces there, costing 2,500 jobs. Ministers have pledged up to £2.5 billion in further support to help decarbonise the UK steel industry, but details remain vague, and it is unclear how much might go to British Steel. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has signalled a desire to “champion decarbonisation without deindustrialisation,” launching a consultation on the UK’s steel strategy. Yet a cocktail of global forces—such as a steel glut fuelled by China’s construction downturn and the 25% US tariffs on steel imports—threatens to depress prices further, complicating British Steel’s switch to greener operations. electric arc furnaces: a mixed blessing While EAFs produce significantly less carbon dioxide compared to traditional blast furnaces, they require extra facilities to convert iron ore for steelmaking. Such infrastructure is not yet established in the UK at the necessary scale, fuelling fears—particularly among some politicians and defence officials—that the country could lose a core manufacturing skillset if Scunthorpe’s blast furnaces are mothballed. Despite these concerns, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) says moving quickly to modern, cleaner technology is “vital” if UK steel is to remain globally competitive. “It’s essential we continue to produce steel in Britain, and decarbonising is the only way we can do that in the long term,” insists TUC general secretary Paul Nowak. the road ahead For now, British Steel acknowledges that government talks are ongoing, emphasising that its “trade union partners will be an important part of that future.” The question remains whether ministers will agree to pump in a further £200 million, with Community and Syndex arguing it is the only strategy that will save Scunthorpe from large-scale redundancies and maintain a fully functioning domestic steel industry until greener technology is ready to take over. SERP-friendly meta description Unions urge the UK government to provide British Steel with £200m to keep Scunthorpe’s two blast furnaces running until electric arc furnaces can be built. Discover why nearly 2,000 jobs are at stake, and why steel’s transition to cleaner technology hangs in the balance.

UK government confirms tighter steel import safeguards from 1 July to protect domestic industry

30 June 2025 News Jamie Young 0 Comments

The UK government has confirmed it will introduce a new set of strengthened steel safeguard measures from 1 July 2025, acting on urgent recommendations made by UK Steel amid growing concerns about a spike in redirected foreign imports.

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