OUTLOOK UK services sector declines Reuters The Independent UK The UK services sector experienced its first decline since April 2025, according to the S&P Global UK services PMI survey, which recorded a reading of 49.3 in May, down from 52.7 in April. The downturn...

TAX Businesses at tipping point over taxes - CBI City AM Daily Mail High taxes are pushing UK businesses to a critical point, warns Rain Newton-Smith, chief executive of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). In a speech at the CBI's national business dinner,...

TAX Family firms hit hard by tax hikes Daily Express Daily Mail Family-owned businesses in the UK are struggling to hire due to rising employment costs, according to a Family Business UK (FBUK) report. Some 40% of family firms cite high wage expectations as the main...

OUTLOOK M&S chairman says Britain has rarely been this anti-growth The Daily Telegraph City AM Daily Mail The chairman of Marks & Spencer has warned that Labour policies had driven the decline in Britain’s high streets. Writing in M&S's annual report,...

TAX Wealthy weary of Labour's tax threats The Sunday Times The Sunday Telegraph Robert Salter at Blick Rothenberg says his wealthy clients are becoming fatigued by Labour’s constant threats to tax wealth. "Most people are happy to pay their fair share of tax as long...

OUTLOOK Business confidence climbs in May The Times Business confidence in the UK increased slightly in May, with a monthly barometer from Lloyds rising three points to 47%. This follows a decline in April and sits just below the 12-month average of 48% - but is above...

ECONOMY ECB: Iran war puts financial stability at risk Financial Times The Times The European Central Bank (ECB) has warned that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East poses serious risks to financial stability. The ECB said: "While the full impact of the war is...

INVESTMENT Retail investors lose faith in UK firms City AM Retail investors are losing confidence in UK-listed companies, according to a survey by InvestorHub and ShareSoc. Around 53% of investors reported concern over a lack of transparency in communications, while...

OUTLOOK Insolvencies surge, with 2,085 firms collapsing in April Daily Mail Official figures show that 2,085 UK firms collapsed in April, with this the highest monthly total since June 2024 and a 3% increase on April 2025. The data for April means that there have been...

TAX Reform vows to scrap overtime tax BBC News Sunday Express The Sunday Telegraph Reform UK has announced a plan to eliminate income tax on overtime for those earning under £75,000, with party leader Nigel Farage saying that if elected, it will "make work pay." The...