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Business analysis and news

<p>Chancellor Rachel Reeves will deliver the Budget later this month (Justin Tallis/PA)</p>
Business

Half of employers to raise prices if cost of hiring goes up in Budget

Many businesses have been hit by rising employment fees, packaging costs or rates relief ending this year

Money

Major bank launches new £200 switch offer – but you can get £500

Business

Guinness is seeing Wetherspoons thrive — so why isn’t its own company?

The London Stock Exchange sign in the City of London (PA)
Business

FTSE 100 up as investors pin hopes on US rate cut

Some 39,965 new pure battery electric cars were registered last month, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said (Danny Lawson/PA)
Business

New electric car market suffers smallest growth since December 2023

The retailer said UK revenues rose by 2% to £436 million (Yui Mok/PA)
Business

Watches of Switzerland sales jump as shoppers shrug off tariff impact

The Bank of England will begin testing how private credit and equity firms would deal with a financial shock (Jordan Pettitt/PA)
Business

Bank of England to stress test private credit firms as concerns grow

Stock markets latest

<p>Trump has been calling for interest rate cuts as the US economy shudders</p>
Voices

Is it time to brace for a US recession?

LiveBusiness

Business news live: Brits to spend £9.5bn across Black Friday sales

LiveBusiness

Interest rates live: Bank of England holds rates in boost to savers

Financial Markets Wall Street
News

Shares in Asia are mixed and Chinese markets fall despite Trump's trade truce with Xi

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Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her Budget to the Commons on November 26 (PA)
Business

Budget worries saw savers sell-down equities at record rate

Ofgem has increased the allowed investment spend (PA)
Business

Household energy bills to rise after watchdog approves £28bn investment

The rate of businesses closing their doors in the UK last year was the lowest level since 2016, recent figures show (PA)
Business

Rate of business closures in the UK falls to lowest level since 2016

Bottled water is handed out in Tunbridge Wells (Gareth Fuller/PA)
Business

Undrinkable water to be restored to 24,000 homes in Kent

The data showed that housebuilding, commercial construction and civil engineering all saw their weakest performance for more than five years (Andrew Matthews/PA)
Business

UK construction sector shrinks at fastest rate since 2020

The group runs food outlets at travel locations such as airports and train stations in countries around the world (James Manning/PA)
Business

Upper Crust owner SSP launches review of European rail arm

Sports Direct opened its biggest flagship store in Liverpool in October (Frasers Group/PA)
Business

Frasers shrugs off retail woes as luxury brand returns to growth

The publicly owned energy body published its first strategic plan since being launched last year (Ben Birchall/PA)
Business

GB Energy aims to attract £15bn funding for renewables

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<p>A total of 1,133,683 electricity customers and 926,545 gas customers are in debt without any repayment arrangement in place</p>
Business

Energy giants told to pass on £150 discount to customers

The FTSE 100 Index closed down 9.73 points at 9,692.07 (Jeff Moore/PA)
Business

Buoyant miners fail to fire lacklustre FTSE 100

Former Stormont economy minister Diane Dodds gives evidence to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry (PA)
Business

Planning for any future pandemic must include impact on economy – Diane Dodds

<p>Hiromi Matsunobu from Matchado prepares for Small Business Saturday this weekend, of which American Express is the founder and principal supporter.</p>
Business

Shoppers urged to support local firms for Small Business Saturday

<p>Wickes’ shares have surged by an impressive 124 per cent since the scheme began in November 2022</p>
Business

DIY chain rewards staff with £14.1m share scheme bonus

The deal keeps tariffs on imports of UK pharmaceuticals into the US at zero for three years (Julien Behal/PA)
Business

NHS services will not be cut to fund US pharma deal – Streeting

<p>Hiromi Matsunobu from Matchado prepares for Small Business Saturday this weekend, of which American Express is the founder and principal supporter.</p>
Business

Shoppers urged to support local firms for Small Business Saturday

<p>Wickes’ shares have surged by an impressive 124 per cent since the scheme began in November 2022</p>
Business

DIY chain rewards staff with £14.1m share scheme bonus

The deal keeps tariffs on imports of UK pharmaceuticals into the US at zero for three years (Julien Behal/PA)
Business

NHS services will not be cut to fund US pharma deal – Streeting

Zara owner Inditex has revealed a jump in its recent sales (Yui Mok/PA)
Business

Zara owner enjoys sales boost as shoppers tap into winter trends

Business

Zara owner enjoys sales boost as shoppers tap into winter trends

Zara owner Inditex has revealed a jump in its recent sales (Yui Mok/PA)
<p>Jake, a Tesco employee, searches for a perfectly imperfect Christmas tree at Needlefresh Christmas tree farm in Yattendon, Berkshire (Ben Birchall/PA)</p>
Business

Major UK supermarket to give away ‘wonky’ Christmas trees

Sainsbury’s store in Bangor, Co Down. Boris Johnson has admitted there are “teething problems” in the post-Brexit trade relationship between Great Britain and Northern Ireland as industry experts warned there could be fresh shortages on supermarket shelves.
Business

Sainsbury’s shares fall as Qatar ends near-20 year spell as biggest investor

UK inflation is expected to remain above the 2% target when official figures for August are released on Wednesday amid a resurgence in price pressures across the key services sector (Alamy/PA)
Business

Service sector growth slows as price inflation drops to almost five-year low

<p>A tanker pumps out excess sewage from the Lightlands Lane sewage pumping station in Cookham</p>
Business

Thames Water’s profits surge amid bill hikes and rise in complaints

<p>A tanker pumps out excess sewage from the Lightlands Lane sewage pumping station in Cookham</p>
Business

Thames Water’s profits surge amid bill hikes and rise in complaints

Self-storage company Big Yellow has warned its annual business rates bill will jump by £1.8 million next year (David Cheskin/PA)
Business

Big Yellow warns annual business rates bill to jump by £1.8m post Budget

File photo dated 22/07/25 of uncollected refuse bags in the Sparkhill area of Birmingham (Jacob King/PA)
Business

Agency refuse workers to join Birmingham bin strikers on picket lines

<p>HSBC appoints Brendan Nelson as group chairman </p>
Business

HSBC announces new group chairman after George Osbourne ruled out

Smiths Group has agreed a £2 billion deal to sell its arm that makes airport security scanners in the latest move to offload parts of the business amid investor pressure (Alamy/PA)
Business

Smiths to sell airport scanning business in £2bn deal

Manchester United’s Old Trafford is among stadiums facing a jump in tax payments (Peter Byrne/PA)
Business

Premier League clubs face tax hikes after stadiums hit in Budget

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will face MPs in the House of Commons (Gareth Fuller/PA)
Business

Keir Starmer to face PMQs amid continued Budget questions

<p>Nike said the ad in question was ‘framed in general terms’</p>
Business

Nike, Superdry and Lacoste ads banned over ‘misleading’ claims

Uk Government minister Kirsty McNeill will speak at the conference (PA)
Business

New funding for space technology research as largest expo begins in Glasgow

Angela Rayner will push for changes (PA)
Business

Rayner to push to speed up part of workers’ Bill after day-one right scrapped

Business

Venables solicitor charged with fraud in 1990

It was a downbeat day for the FTSE 100 (Jeff Moore/PA)
Business

FTSE 100 ends flat as bank gains offset weak gold

Business

FTSE 100 ends flat as bank gains offset weak gold

It was a downbeat day for the FTSE 100 (Jeff Moore/PA)
<p>It is often the postie who spots that something is wrong with the elderly customers they say hello to. Or they might notice an unexpected build-up of unopened mail at a customer’s home. This is as much social service as it is business</p>
Voices

Denmark’s postal service is sending Royal Mail a chilling message...

Public finance minister Ivan McKee announced the shift on Tuesday (Andrew Milligan/PA)
Business

Government to allow flat rate tourist tax

Downing Street said the cost of the deal will be around £1 billion a year (Julien Behal/PA)
Business

Zero-tariff deal with US to cost NHS £1 billion, No 10 says

<p>Candy Kittens co-founders Jamie Laing (R) and Ed Williams (L) are due to acquire the snack brand Graze </p>
Business

Jamie Laing’s sweets company to acquire popular UK snack brand

<p>Candy Kittens co-founders Jamie Laing (R) and Ed Williams (L) are due to acquire the snack brand Graze </p>
Business

Jamie Laing’s sweets company to acquire popular UK snack brand

Topps Tiles has revealed slower growth at the start of its financial year as it also snapped up the brand of collapsed rival Fired Earth (Ian West/PA)
Business

Topps Tiles buys Fired Earth brand from administration as sales growth slows

On The Beach consumers are increasingly expecting a ‘seamless, tech-driven booking experience’ (Alamy/PA)
Business

Consumers ‘protecting their holidays’, says On The Beach

Tax hikes and spending cuts will put pressure on the UK economy over the next two years and inflation will remain among the highest in the among the G7 economies, according to a new report. (PA)
Business

UK growth facing headwinds from tax hikes and spending cuts – OECD

Jitse Groen will be succeeded by Roberto Gandolfo (DeBG Photography/Alamy/PA)
Business

Just Eat founding boss Jitse Groen stepping down months after takeover

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The Government has ruled out new oil and gas licences in the North Sea (PA)
Business

Oil giant blames windfall tax as it scraps 100 jobs

HSE said oil and gas companies must strengthen inspection regimes to identify potential corrosion (PA)
Business

Shell fined after major hydrocarbon release on rig linked to corroded pipework

The Bank of England has cut its estimate for the level of cash reserves banks must hold to protect against their collapse (Jonathan Brady/PA)
Business

Bank of England to loosen post-financial crisis capital rules for banks

<p>There’s been a huge battle to secure cash ISA customers this year and that’s not likely to change given the Budget </p>
Money

December’s best savings accounts paying high interest after the Budget

<p>An email sent to customers revealed that no further bookings beyond 31 December are currently allowed</p>
Business

Zipcar considers shutting UK business as bookings suspended

<p>Shop price increases eased in November ahead of Christmas, thanks in part to Black Friday</p>
Business

Good news for shoppers as price increases ease in time for Christmas

Business

Good news for shoppers as price increases ease in time for Christmas

<p>Shop price increases eased in November ahead of Christmas, thanks in part to Black Friday</p>
Three UK businesses with fewer than 20 staff can enter to win their own celebrity brand ambassador for the day (Jordan Pettitt/PA)
Business

Small firms get chance at endorsement from sports stars in new competition

The UK has agreed a deal with the US to provide zero tariffs on medicines exported to the country (Julien Behal/PA)
Business

UK and US agree zero tariff deal on pharmaceuticals

<p>Reeves wants more people to invest in British companies. They’re not going to do that if they think the game is rigged</p>
Voices

If Rachel Reeves was CEO of a company, she’d have been fired by now

Chancellor Rachel Reeves poses outside 11 Downing Street, London, with her ministerial red box before delivering her Budget in the House of Commons (Frank Augstein/PA)
Business

OBR chairman resigns over Budget leak

Chancellor Rachel Reeves poses outside 11 Downing Street, London, with her ministerial red box before delivering her Budget in the House of Commons (Frank Augstein/PA)
Business

OBR chairman resigns over Budget leak

Retailers have written to the Scottish Government (Isabel Infantes/PA)
Business

Scotland could ‘lose our high streets as we know them’, retailers warn

Harbour Energy announced proposed job losses as part of a review into its UK operations (Jane Barlow/PA)
Business

FTSE 100 down as US manufacturing growth slows

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer making his speech at the Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre in London, backing the Budget to signal a fresh push on welfare reform (Gareth Fuller/PA)
Business

Starmer says there was ‘no misleading’ by Chancellor ahead of Budget

The Prince of Wales hailed Welsh innovation (Ben Birchall/PA)
Business

William urges investors to grasp ‘extraordinary possibilities’ on offer in Wales

Zipcar is to suspend bookings in the UK from the end of December (Alamy/PA)
Business

Zipcar plans to shut down UK operations by end of the year

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves poses outside 11 Downing Street, London, with her ministerial red box (Frank Augstein/PA)
Business

OBR must ‘change completely’ how sensitive reports published after Budget leak

<p>Virgin was fined £23.8 million for breaching Ofcom’s consumer protection rules.</p>
Business

Virgin Media fined £23.7m after putting vulnerable customer at risk

The UK Government is preparing to strike a deal with the US securing zero tariffs on pharmaceuticals products into the US (Ben Birchall/PA)
Business

UK and US preparing to strike zero tariffs deal on pharmaceuticals

Shoppers went searching for Black Friday sales (PA)
Business

Black Friday busiest day of the year so far for retailers, figures show

Business

Gail’s to open 40 new stores across England amid huge sales boom

UK factory activity returned to growth last month (PA)
Business

UK manufacturing sector grows for first time in a year

Business

UK manufacturing sector grows for first time in a year

UK factory activity returned to growth last month (PA)
<p>Alison Holliday (R), 50, and Charlie Lycett-Smith (L), 46, held multiple senior roles in digital agencies for decades. </p>
Business

North & Nest on starting a business post-menopause

The UK investment bank has given some welcome backing to under-pressure Chancellor Rachel Reeves (Alamy/PA)
Business

Peel Hunt cheers ‘positive steps’ in Budget to boost London market and investing

The Prince of Wales is due to speak at the Wales investment summit (Temilade Adelaja/PA)
Business

William to champion Wales at investment summit

Airlines easyJet and Wizz Air have confirmed flights continued to operate as normal throughout the weekend despite an urgent software update on some of their aircraft to fix potential problems caused by solar radiation (PA)
Business

EasyJet and Wizz Air confirm flights continued as normal despite software fix

Airlines easyJet and Wizz Air have confirmed flights continued to operate as normal throughout the weekend despite an urgent software update on some of their aircraft to fix potential problems caused by solar radiation (PA)
Business

EasyJet and Wizz Air confirm flights continued as normal despite software fix

<p>The Treasury has been accused of misleading the public</p>
News

Treasury accused of giving ‘false and misleading’ briefings

<p>Rachel Reeves has been accused of misleading the public (Adrian Dennis/PA)</p>
Business

Calls to investigate claims Treasury misled the public

<p>The government needs to start thinking of reasons why young people should stay in the UK</p>
Voices

Starmer has another problem – young people are fleeing Britain

Millions of people across England went to their local pub to watch the Women’s World Cup final (Alamy/PA)
Business

Higher business taxes to cost pub sector £150m and threaten jobs – analysis

The Office for Budget Responsibility appears to have challenged the Government’s grim scene-setting for the need to raise taxes at the Budget (Jacob King/PA)
Business

No 10 denies Reeves misled over black hole as OBR letter challenges warnings

<p>The pub group behind Toby Carvery has hiked prices across its menu</p>
Business

Toby Carvery owner hikes menu prices as it faces £130 million bill

Premier Inn owner Whitbread suffered a hit following Wednesday’s Budget (PA)
Business

Stocks end winning week up despite hit for Premier Inn owner Whitbread

Oceana UK claimed the impact of climate change and accidental spills were not considered (Andrew Milligan/PA)
Business

Ocean conservation charity loses High Court bid over oil and gas licences

<p>The pub group behind Toby Carvery has hiked prices across its menu</p>
Business

Toby Carvery owner hikes menu prices as it faces £130 million bill

Premier Inn owner Whitbread suffered a hit following Wednesday’s Budget (PA)
Business

Stocks end winning week up despite hit for Premier Inn owner Whitbread

Oceana UK claimed the impact of climate change and accidental spills were not considered (Andrew Milligan/PA)
Business

Ocean conservation charity loses High Court bid over oil and gas licences

Asda said like-for-like sales slid by 2.8% over the third quarter of 2025 (Chris Radburn/PA)
Business

Asda recovery ‘set back six months’ by botched IT upgrade

Frasers, which owns Sports Direct, will publish its half-year financial results on Thursday (PA)
Business

Frasers to give glimpse into retail conditions after ‘challenging’ year

Large firms will face a crackdown on late payments to small businesses as part of a new package of Government support (Alamy/PA)
Business

Businesses are changing their recruitment strategies after Budget, poll shows

(Mike Egerton/PA)
Business

Premier Inn owner’s costs to rise by up to £50m after business rates changes

<p>Up until this week, income tax thresholds were frozen until 2028 – the Budget saw that extended to 2031</p>
Money

The Budget’s stealth tax phenomenon and how much it will cost you

All Bar One owner Mitchells & Butlers reported pre-tax profits of £238 million in the year to September 27 (Mitchells & Butlers/PA)
Business

All Bar One owner cautions over £130m cost hit as wage and food bills soar

The Budget continued to provoke debate with analysts welcoming the increased fiscal headroom delivered by the Chancellor but suggesting important questions remain unanswered (Yui Mok/PA)
Business

UK mid-caps outperform in calm post-Budget trade

Pub group Admiral Taverns has said it will weather Budget tax changes amid stronger trading (AdmiralTvaerns/PA)
Business

Budget threatens jobs and venues, pub bosses warn as business rates rise

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