INVESTMENT Chancellor reveals plan for £25bn pension 'megafunds' BBC News The UK Government has detailed its pension reform plans, introducing £25bn "megafunds" aimed at enhancing local investments to stimulate economic growth. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: "These...

OUTLOOK Start-ups hire fewer staff amid fall in business confidence City AM Start-up businesses in the UK are grappling with a challenging economic environment, according to Cynergy Bank's latest Business Births and Deaths Index. The average number of employees per...

TAX Rachel Reeves could be forced into £30bn tax raid Financial Times The Daily Telegraph Labour’s pledge to restore winter fuel payments and review the two-child benefit cap could lead to another £10bn to £30bn of tax rises, experts fear. Stephen Millard, acting...

EMPLOYMENT Auto-enrolment rates under review The Sunday Times The UK Government is set to review auto-enrolment rates in workplace pensions, aiming to address the "adequacy" of pension savings. Introduced in 2012, the current requirement mandates 8% of earnings to be...

OUTLOOK UK economy shows signs of recovery City AM Daily Mail The UK economy is showing signs of recovery following a challenging April marked by rising energy costs and employment tax increases. According to S&P Global's latest flash purchasing managers' index...

OUTLOOK SMEs could ‘unlock £78bn’ by using AI City AM A report commissioned by Microsoft and consultancy WPI Strategy suggests that SMEs could unlock up to £78bn for the economy over the next decade through greater adoption of generative AI. Analysis by the Federation...

OUTLOOK Insolvencies climb 3% in April The Independent City AM The Times Data from the Insolvency Service shows that registered company insolvencies hit 2,053 in April, marking a 3% increase on March's total but a 5% decline compared to April 2024. Creditors'...

TAX Tax payments delayed as costs climb City AM Data from HMRC suggests that businesses may be delaying tax payments, with figures showing that firms owed up to £29bn in unpaid corporation tax, VAT, and National Insurance in February. This comes with businesses having...

FINANCING Access to finance remains below pre-pandemic levels The Times The indebtedness of businesses seeking finance has more than doubled compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to a report by Funding Xchange. The study reveals that the average debt-to-turnover...

ECONOMY Growth exceeds expectations in Q1 Sky News BBC News Financial Times City AM The Independent Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows that the economy grew in the first three months of the year, with GDP increasing by 0.7%. The increase marks a...