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...
Asda is preparing to cut up to 1,200 warehouse jobs as part of an aggressive cost-cutting programme, according to the GMB, marking a second wave of proposed redundancies in little more than a fortnight. Union officials claim the supermarket is planning to outsource distribution of its George clothing range to DHL, placing hundreds of roles at risk across several of Asda’s clothing depots. The work is expected to be consolidated at a single DHL-operated facility...
UK toy sales rose for the first time in five years last year, offering rare optimism for a sector that has struggled since the pandemic, but industry leaders are now watching closely for any fallout from potential social media bans aimed at under-16s. The value of UK toy sales increased by 6 per cent in 2025, according to data from Circana, marking the first year of value growth since 2020. The total market was valued...
Elon Musk has raised the prospect of buying Ryanair in the latest escalation of a public war of words with the airline’s outspoken chief executive, Michael O’Leary. The exchange follows a disagreement over whether Europe’s largest low-cost carrier should install Musk’s Starlink satellite internet system across its fleet of more than 650 aircraft. O’Leary has repeatedly dismissed the idea, arguing that the required antennae and hardware would add unnecessary weight and drag, increasing fuel burn...
