Next has bought the upmarket shoe and accessories brand Russell & Bromley out of administration in a £2.5 million deal, but the majority of the chain’s shops and hundreds of jobs remain at risk. The high street fashion group has acquired the Russell & Bromley brand, three of its 36 standalone stores and a tranche of existing stock, for which it is paying a further £1.3 million. The remaining 33 stores, along with nine concession...
Steven Bartlett, the millionaire entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den investor, is facing mounting criticism from celebrities and content creators after comments made on his podcast, Diary Of A CEO, sparked accusations that he is amplifying misogynistic narratives under the guise of long-form discussion. The backlash centres on a recent episode in which Bartlett, 33, discussed the so-called “male loneliness epidemic” with psychologist Dr Alok Kanojia. During the conversation, Bartlett questioned whether society should “intervene” to ensure...
Billions of pounds in potential tariff savings from the UK’s landmark trade deal with India could be put at risk unless the Government rethinks plans to cut export support staff, MPs have warned, raising concerns that British businesses may struggle to turn the agreement into real-world growth. In a report published on Wednesday, the Business and Trade Committee said deep reductions to trade support roles within government could undermine the effectiveness of the UK–India Comprehensive...
More than one in five UK small and medium-sized enterprises say international trade tariff disputes remain the single biggest challenge facing their business, as global tensions continue to drive up costs and disrupt supply chains. New research from Paragon Bank, based on a survey of 1,000 SMEs, found that 21 per cent now view tariff wars as their most significant current concern — ahead of labour shortages, inflation and domestic regulatory pressures. The findings come...
UK inflation rose for the first time in five months over the Christmas period, driven by higher tobacco prices following tax rises announced by the chancellor and a sharp increase in airfares, according to official figures. Data published on Wednesday by the Office for National Statistics showed that consumer price inflation climbed to 3.4 per cent in December, up from 3.2 per cent in November and above economists’ expectations. It marked the first increase in...
In early 2026, the Irish pensions landscape will undergo one of its most significant shifts in decades. The introduction of auto-enrolment, a system that will automatically enrol many employees into a pension scheme, marks a pivotal step in strengthening retirement savings across the country. For workers, employers and the wider system, the implications are profound. Here’s a comprehensive look at what auto-enrolment means for Ireland, how it works, who benefits most, how employers should view...
Gambling has long been a fixture of British life, from local high streets to online platforms that let punters place a bet from their sofa. In her second budget as chancellor, Rachel Reeves announced major changes to gambling taxes that will affect both online and high-street operators. Remote gaming duty will nearly double from 21% to 40%, a move the industry has called a “devastating hammer blow” that threatens jobs and risks pushing players offshore....
For small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), equipping employees with the latest skills and tools needs to be a priority. After all, as the competition grows, SMEs can’t afford to be idle. And it’s not always possible for new hires or seasoned employees to know exactly what industry demands will look like. That’s why SMEs must budget for upskilling within their workforces. Upskilling doesn’t have to be a major cost, either. With some training courses or...
Running a small or medium-sized business is tough enough without getting buried in spreadsheets every month. A lot of us owners and managers end up wearing too many hats, sales, customer stuff, operations, and then accounting piles on top. Those routine financial tasks eat up hours, and honestly, one slip-up can cause big headaches like tax penalties or cash flow surprises. I’ve talked to plenty of other business folks who’ve found a better way: handing...
Uber has abandoned its pledge to operate an all-electric fleet across major UK, US and European cities by 2030, after its chief executive warned that drivers, consumers and governments are turning away from electric vehicles. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi said the company’s long-standing commitment to switch to a fully electric fleet by the end of the decade was “just not going to happen”. It marks the...
