Business

More than £18 million has been raised for grassroots sport across the UK since 2018, thanks to a trailblazing partnership between Crowdfunder and Sport England — a milestone celebrated last week at a special event in the House of Commons. The event brought together MPs, funding partners, sports bodies, and community leaders, who gathered to reflect on the success of the matched crowdfunding model and to discuss how it can become a cornerstone of future...

Vulnerable beneficiaries are being left without essential support as charities across the UK are forced to scale back services or halt expansion plans due to surging operational costs, according to leading audit, tax and business advisory firm Blick Rothenberg. The warning comes amid growing concern that increased National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and the rising National Minimum Wage (NMW) are placing an unsustainable financial burden on third-sector organisations — many of which are already operating on...

British carmakers and manufacturers have welcomed the newly signed UK-US trade deal, which includes a significant reduction in tariffs on automotive and steel exports, offering long-awaited relief to key industrial sectors. The agreement — the first struck under President Trump’s renewed trade agenda — eliminates proposed American tariffs of 27.5% on British steel and reduces car tariffs to 10%, covering up to 100,000 UK car exports annually. However, a 10% blanket tariff will remain in...

John Lewis is expanding its café and restaurant offering in a renewed effort to drive footfall, enhance the in-store experience, and re-establish itself as a destination retailer for middle England. The department store group has announced plans to open five new cafés and restaurants across its estate this year, reflecting what it called the “growing importance of food and drink” in its department store strategy. The move comes as one in five in-store transactions now...

The Bank of England’s decision to cut interest rates from 4.5% to 4.25% is welcome news for mortgage holders and homebuyers, but less so for savers. The move, the fourth cut since August, comes amid global economic uncertainty, including concerns over Donald Trump’s trade tariffs, and easing inflation. The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee voted narrowly to reduce the base rate, with five in favour, including Governor Andrew Bailey, and four against — two wanting no...

British Airways parent company International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) has committed to a massive $23 billion aircraft order, brushing off concerns about softening transatlantic travel demand amid President Trump’s escalating global trade wars. In a confident update to investors, the £14 billion FTSE 100 airline group said it remained on track to hit its €4.6 billion profit forecast for 2025, adding that passenger demand remained “robust” despite broader economic uncertainty. IAG’s announcement comes just weeks...

Dr. Malini Saba is an internationally respected entrepreneur, psychologist, and philanthropist whose multifaceted career spans over 30 years and numerous global industries. As the founder of Saba Group, she has led pioneering ventures across sectors including agriculture, real estate, fintech, commodities, and healthcare. She is also the Chair and CEO of the Saba Family Foundation, a philanthropic organization she funds personally, dedicated to advancing education, healthcare access, and economic empowerment for women and children. Known...

Salmon Scotland, the trade body representing the UK’s largest food export, has called on the UK Government to pursue further negotiations with the United States after it was confirmed that a 10% tariff on Scottish salmon exports will remain in place under the newly announced UK-US trade deal. Speaking after discussions with UK Food Security Minister Daniel Zeichner, Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland, said the agreement marked a positive step but warned it...

Tesla has encountered legal headwinds in its push to trademark the terms “Robotaxi” and “Cybercab”, dealing a blow to the company’s highly anticipated autonomous ride-hailing plans ahead of a planned June 2025 launch. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) this week issued a “nonfinal office action” denying Tesla’s attempt to trademark “Robotaxi” for its electric vehicles, stating the term is “merely descriptive” and too generic to qualify for exclusive use. The decision means that...

Electric vehicle (EV) sales in the UK continued to surge in April, with battery electric cars claiming more than one in five new registrations, even as petrol and diesel car sales sharply declined — a development hailed by campaigners as a “clear signal” of public support for the shift to cleaner transport. According to the latest Electric Car Count from New AutoMotive, battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales rose by nearly 7% year-on-year, capturing a 20.4%...