Britain’s mid-sized businesses continue to feel overlooked ahead of the Autumn Budget, with more than seven in ten (71%) saying it is hard to find support tailored to their scale. The research, published as part of specialist lender Shawbrook’s M Agenda insight series, shows the proportion of firms struggling to access tailored backing has risen…
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British consumers’ confidence in the state of the economy fell from minus 32 to minus 40 this October, according to the British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) consumer index, marking the third consecutive month of deteriorating sentiment. Expectations for personal finances also fell from minus 15 to minus 18 this month, with expectations for personal spending on…
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An Accountant who defrauded Eat Out to Help Out and other Covid support schemes has been ordered to repay more than £300,000. Zeeshan Ashraf was handed a confiscation order of £307,690 at Birmingham Crown Court. Ashraf was jailed for three years and eight months at the same court in February 2025 after defrauding the Eat…
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Inflation rose to 3.5 per cent in September, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The rise was higher than the earlier forecast of 3.4 per cent, amid continued energy pressures linked to the Middle East conflict September inflation rose from 3.1% to 3.5%, above the 3.4% forecast, with petrol and diesel leading the…
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Business activity returned to growth for mid-market companies during the third quarter of 2026, according to NatWest’s Mid-market Growth Tracker, while the rate of output growth accelerated to its fastest level for 22 months in September. NatWest’s Tracker – which is based on the Purchasing Managers’ Index™ and surveys mid-market businesses operating in the manufacturing…
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Bibby Financial Services’ (BFS) latest SME Confidence Tracker reveals that small businesses’ greatest wish for Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey’s first Autumn Budget is to reduce the cost of doing business. SMEs’ wish-list for the Budget shows that reducing the cost burden is a number one priority. The data showed that a…
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UK-listed companies issued 65 profit warnings during the third quarter of 2026, up from 59 in Q2 and the highest quarterly total since Q4 2024 (71), according to EY-Parthenon’s latest Profit Warnings report. Rising costs were cited as a leading factor in more than a third (35%) of Q3 warnings – the highest proportion recorded…
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Chief Executives (CEOs) of the UK’s biggest businesses are feeling much more upbeat about the growth prospects for their businesses than in 2025, ranking joint third globally, according to KPMG’s 2026 Global CEO Outlook. The findings of the annual KPMG survey represent the views of 1,400 CEOs, including 150 from some of the largest businesses…
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The UK economy grew by 0.1 per cent in August, after economists previously forecasted that it would fall, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) The small increase follows 0.4 per cent growth in July and comes as Chancellor John Healey prepares to give his first Budget this month. In the three…
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SMEs are relying on premium finance and finance from insurers ahead of other forms of credit as they borrow more to ensure cover remains affordable, new research from Premium Credit. Nearly two out of three (64%) fund insurance policies with premium finance or finance from insurers, the study found. With respondents using multiple forms of…
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A new survey has revealed the scale and impact of cash flow pressure facing B2B SMEs across the UK and identified how these constraints are affecting their ability to invest and grow The Censuswide research surveyed 500 financial decision-makers at SMEs that provide goods and services to other businesses. It found that two in five…
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Applications by business owners for personal guarantee insurance (PGI) rose 62% year on year in the third quarter of 2026, according to new data from Purbeck Personal Guarantee Insurance. Applications were also 9% higher than in Q2, making Q3 2026 the second-busiest quarter recorded since 2021, behind only Q1 2026. The data is a measure…
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LHV Bank has appointed Damian Thompson as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director. He will join the Bank on 4th January 2027, subject to regulatory approval. Thompson has more than 30 years of experience across UK banking, structured finance and financial services. After almost 2 decades in senior roles at NatWest Markets, he joined Starling…
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