The Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) is calling for greater collaboration between lenders, industry bodies and policymakers following concerns raised by members about emerging trends in loan stacking and the potential consequences for the financial resilience of UK businesses. Loan stacking occurs when businesses take out multiple loans or financing arrangements, sometimes in quick succession,…
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Chancellor John Healey has announced his Autumn Budget plans. As part of a package to help business, Healey increased the point at which High Street shops in England start paying business rates from £12,000 to £18,000, with vape shops and adult gaming centres excluded from the relief. The Chancellor has also announced an increase to…
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New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) grew by 10% in August 2026 compared with the same month in 2025. In the eight months to August 2026, new business was 6% higher than in the same period last year. The plant…
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Nine in ten (90%) of UK finance leaders have a clear business case for using AI in cash and liquidity management, but only seven in ten (71%) can clearly measure the business value their AI initiatives deliver, according to new research from FIS. The study, conducted by Opinium in June–July 2026 among 100 senior finance…
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Shop price inflation reached its highest level in more than two years in October as rising energy and transport costs pushed up prices, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Annual shop price inflation increased to 2.1%, from 1.4% in September, while food inflation rose to 2.9%, driven by higher prices for tinned and packaged…
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A pizza company boss who fraudulently secured £150,000 in Covid loans before company funds were spent on gambling and children’s toys has been jailed. Matthew Temple obtained three £50,000 Bounce Back Loans for Pizza Cottage (Whitley Bay) Limited, which traded as Pizza Cottage on East Parade in Whitley Bay. Temple, known as Mehdi Ghaneh-Keisami when the…
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Trade credit insurer Atradius says weather volatility and rising costs may put further pressure on Britain’s food supply chain. Atradius says that it saw agriculture claims increase over the summer, while food claims were modestly higher across the latest three-month period. Meanwhile, new data shows agriculture claims rose during the winter following the hot, dry…
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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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