More than 5,800 Countryside Stewardship agreements are set to end in December, leaving farmers warning of environmental damage and financial uncertainty as they await new government schemes.
Category: News
The latest news affecting small and medium sized (SME) businesses in the UK
HMRC staff take 500,000 sick days a year as millions of taxpayer calls go unanswered
HMRC staff took more than half a million sick days last year, new figures show, as the tax office also admitted four million calls from taxpayers are going unanswered annually.
UK suffers steepest hiring slump in Europe as Reeves’s tax raid bites
Britain has recorded the sharpest fall in hiring intentions across Europe, with recruiters warning of a “tough outlook” as Rachel Reeves prepares another multi-billion-pound tax raid on employers.
UK sick days hit 15-year high as mental health drives long-term absences
British workers are taking more sick days than at any time in the past 15 years, with staff absent for nearly two weeks on average. Mental health is now the leading cause of long-term absence, CIPD research finds.
Tottenham Hotspur reject takeover approaches from Amanda Staveley and Chinese consortium
Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed they rejected preliminary takeover interest from Amanda Staveley’s PCP International Finance and a Chinese investor group, insisting majority shareholder Enic has “no intention” of selling.
Gold surges past $3,600 an ounce as investors bet on US rate cuts
The gold price has climbed to a record $3,614 an ounce as investors anticipate a Federal Reserve rate cut and weigh uncertainty over US trade policy, inflation, and the dollar’s role in global markets.
Sherbet secures record £40m investment to expand electric London black cab fleet
Sherbet, the UK’s leading electric black taxi company, has raised up to £40m in the largest-ever investment in London’s licensed taxi trade, aiming to scale its fleet from 550 to 3,000 electric cabs and expand internationally.
Barclays faces complaint over alleged anti-Semitism at Leicester branch
Barclays Bank has received a formal complaint from journalist Martin Blackham alleging anti-Semitism at its Leicester branch after his account was frozen, prompting calls for an urgent investigation.
Online shopping at work not a sackable offence, tribunal rules
A UK employment tribunal has ruled that spending under an hour at work on personal browsing is not grounds for dismissal, awarding an accountancy administrator £14,000 for unfair dismissal after spyware was used to monitor her.
Labour weighs human rights reform as Mahmood shifts right on migration to counter Reform UK
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood is considering reforms to the European Convention on Human Rights as Labour seeks to blunt Reform UK’s advance, with new asylum policies and returns deals also in play.
M&S calls on ministers to rethink farm inheritance tax reforms amid rural backlash
Marks & Spencer has urged environment secretary Emma Reynolds to back farmers and rethink Labour’s proposed inheritance tax reforms, warning that Britain needs a clear legal commitment to domestic food production.
UK e-motorbike maker Maeving secures £8m to fuel growth and overseas expansion
Coventry-based Maeving, the British electric motorbike manufacturer, has raised £8 million in new funding to expand production, accelerate overseas sales and develop new models aimed at commuters and women riders.
Peter Kyle sets sights on UK’s first $1trn company in ‘ambitious’ growth pledge as he replaces Jonathan Reynolds as business minister
New business secretary Peter Kyle has vowed to deliver an “ambitious” growth agenda, telling UK bosses he wants government to help create Britain’s first $1trn company and make the UK the best place to scale a business.
Tesla proposes $1 trillion pay package for Elon Musk, the largest in corporate history
Tesla’s board has proposed a record $1 trillion compensation deal for Elon Musk, tied to ambitious milestones including an $8.5 trillion market cap, 20m vehicle deliveries, and one million Robotaxis.
Angela Rayner resigns as deputy prime minister after report into tax affairs
Angela Rayner has quit as deputy PM and housing secretary after the prime minister’s ethics adviser found she should have paid a £40,000 stamp duty surcharge on a second home, prompting a rapid cabinet reshuffle and a Labour deputy leadership contest.
