<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> 2023 has been challenging for business so far, but a new poll of SMEs in England from the Join the Skills Revolution campaign reveals that they still expect to see a 26% (on average) growth in revenue this year. The optimism for growth for the year ahead is positive, and there are […]Read More

<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> Starting and running a business takes hard work, motivation, and persistence. It’s an exciting venture, but one that comes with its fair share of obstacles and challenges. However, when you’re a mother, you may also face an additional struggle that can make it harder to continue – the overwhelming feelings of guilt […]Read More

<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> The UK Government has lost £21bn worth of taxpayers money due to fraud since the start of the pandemic, that is “very unlikely” to be unrecovered, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). The NAO said that many public bodies are unaware of the amount of fraud they face, as it revealed […]Read More

<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> Moonpig has reported its largest ever week of sales in the UK thanks to consumers scrambling for Mother’s Day cards. The listed retailer, which allows shoppers to personalise cards and gifts, said it now expects annual revenue for the year ending 30 April to remain at £320m, despite previously warning that Royal […]Read More

<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> Increasing capital requirements on SME lending will stifle economic growth and depress the UK’s small business sector, business groups have warned. Under proposals being considered by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) as part of the Basel 3.1 regulations, favourable treatment for SME lending will be removed. Removing the preferential treatment, known as […]Read More

<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> People in Britain have more confidence in the EU than the UK parliament, reversing a state of affairs that has lasted for more than 30 years, research reveals. Since the UK voted for Brexit, the proportion of people declaring confidence in parliament has slumped by 10 percentage points to 22% while there […]Read More

<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> A decision on whether to bring forward the date when the state pension age rises to 68 has been postponed until after the next general election, the government has announced. Responding to a review of the UK retirement system’s funding, the work and pensions secretary, Mel Stride, told MPs on Thursday that […]Read More

<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> NatWest and Lloyds are to axe a further 81 bank branches as both announced fresh cuts to their high street networks. Lloyds Banking Group is closing 39 branches – 26 Lloyds Bank outlets, nine Halifax branches and four Bank of Scotland outlets – between July and September this year. NatWest Group said […]Read More

<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> Ocado Group has seen off claims from an international rival “goods retrieval” company that alleged the British online retailer and technology group had stolen several of its technology inventions. A High Court judge ruled that two patents held by the Norwegian company were invalid and that, regardless, Ocado had not infringed them. […]Read More

<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> Virgin Orbit will lay off 85 per cent of its workforce after the satellite launch business failed to find new funding in the face of a cash crunch. Shares in the group, founded by Sir Richard Branson in 2017, tumbled sharply in out-of-hours trading in New York last night after it announced […]Read More