Business

Women in England face a dramatic and long-lasting earnings hit after having children, with the average mother losing over £65,000 in pay by the time her first child turns five, according to sobering new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The analysis reveals a 42% fall in mothers’ average monthly earnings – equivalent to a loss of £1,051 per month – compared with income levels one year before childbirth. The ONS found that...

Baroness Michelle Mone has launched a blistering attack on Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, accusing her of “inflammatory language”, “reckless public statements”, and misrepresenting both the facts and legal context surrounding the PPE Medpro case. In a two-page letter seen by Business Matters, the peer directly confronts Badenoch’s remarks made on BBC Radio, in which she called for Baroness Mone to resign from the House of Lords and said the authorities should “throw the book at...

Donald Trump’s cryptocurrency portfolio posted a rare rebound in Q3 2025, climbing 36.6% in value to $3.1 million, according to new analysis from Finbold. On-chain data tracked by Arkham Intelligence shows the former US president’s holdings rose from $2.27 million on July 1 to $3.10 million by September 30 – a paper gain of around $823,000. The recovery comes after a brutal start to the year, when Trump’s wallet value collapsed 80.7% in Q1 (from...

Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy has delivered a blunt warning to the Chancellor, urging Rachel Reeves not to impose fresh tax burdens on Britain’s retailers in next month’s autumn budget. Speaking after a year in which Reeves’s maiden budget raised employers’ national insurance contributions and the minimum wage — measures that added more than £7bn in costs across the sector — Murphy said the industry was “doing its best” to absorb the pressure but insisted:...

Healsgood AI, the healthtech behind Flexzo AI, has secured an additional £2.5 million in seed funding from Octopus Ventures, taking total investment in its NHS workforce management platform to £5 million over the past year. The London-based company, which trades as Flexzo AI, is developing an artificial intelligence-driven system to help NHS Trusts and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) cut their reliance on costly agency and bank staffing. Demand from NHS organisations has surged, prompting the...

More than £100 billion in overdue invoices were logged by UK companies in the first nine months of 2025, as late payment practices hit record levels and small businesses bear the brunt. Analysis of government filings by the campaign group Good Business Pays shows that a record number of large firms admitted paying more than half their invoices late this year. On average, suppliers were left waiting more than 50 days for payment, while 127...

Baroness Michelle Mone has accused Chancellor Rachel Reeves of using “dangerous and inflammatory” language, days after a High Court judge ruled that PPE Medpro — a firm linked to Mone and her husband, Doug Barrowman — must repay £122 million for breaching a Covid-era PPE contract. In an open letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, seen by Business Matters, Baroness Mone claims that a comment reportedly made by Reeves at a Labour Party Conference...

The landscape of political campaigning in the UK has shifted dramatically in recent years, as parties and candidates adapt to a world where conversations and opinions are shaped far beyond the traditional news cycle. The rise of online communities has not only broadened the reach of political messages but also introduced new challenges and opportunities for engagement, strategy, and regulation. New Frontiers for Political Messaging Political strategists have long understood the value of meeting voters...

As financial markets continue to be volatile, responsibility has become just as important as opportunity. SOHO International has stepped forward to highlight its dedication to responsible online CFD trading, ensuring that clients approach the markets with caution, awareness, and a clear focus on risk management. The company stresses that trading is not simply about chasing profits but also about making sustainable and informed decisions. SOHO International Fostering a Culture of Awareness With access to hundreds...

The rapid evolution of online platforms has transformed the way people in the UK connect, shop, and access information. As these services become ever more embedded in daily life, questions about oversight, consumer protection, and the responsibilities of government have come to the fore. The challenge for policymakers is to strike a balance between fostering innovation and ensuring robust safeguards for citizens. Oversight During Online Expansion Online platforms now shape much of public and private...