Category: News

Pub landlords have criticised Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to extend opening hours, warning it will raise costs and fail to revive Britain’s pub trade, which is struggling with higher taxes, energy prices and changing drinking habits.

The LDC Top 50 2025 celebrates the UK’s most ambitious entrepreneurs, with Mark Fitzgerald of CTR Group named overall winner and standout business leaders recognised for innovation, impact, sustainability and resilience across the UK.

The government has announced up to £50 million to accelerate mental health research, putting people with lived experience at the centre of innovation to develop more effective treatments and strengthen the UK’s life sciences sector.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is set to meet Ineos billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe before Christmas as he steps up efforts to win over business figures critical of Britain’s clean energy, tax and industrial policies.

Block CEO Jack Dorsey has launched a bitcoin wallet for retailers using Square, allowing small businesses to auto-convert up to half their daily sales into cryptocurrency with no fees until 2027.

Uber-backed start-up Gemini Trains has ordered ten new Siemens Velaro Novo high-speed trains as it gears up to rival Eurostar on cross-Channel routes to Paris, Brussels and Cologne — with services expected to launch later this decade.

Kemi Badenoch has pledged to abolish stamp duty as part of her new “golden rule” for public finances, promising to fund tax cuts and reduce the deficit through £47bn in savings while reigniting Britain’s housing market.

The Confederation of British Metalforming has welcomed JLR’s staged production restart and supplier funding scheme but warned that smaller manufacturers still face severe liquidity pressures, urging banks and government to act quickly to protect UK automotive supply chains.

Kemi Badenoch will announce a ‘golden rule’ for public spending and unveil a flagship tax cut in her Conservative conference speech, aiming to put the economy at the centre of her leadership and boost the party’s growth message.

JPMorgan Chase has been named the world’s most AI-advanced bank for a third year running, leading the 2025 Evident AI Index. UK lenders HSBC and Lloyds improved their positions but continue to trail US rivals on AI talent.

The FCA has unveiled plans for a £9bn compensation scheme covering 14 million car finance deals mis-sold through discretionary commission arrangements. Average payouts are expected to be £700 per driver, with redress starting next year.

DPD drivers have begun three days of action after the delivery firm cut payments for small parcels by 65p, a move that could cost some self-employed drivers more than £6,500 a year.