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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...