Andy Burnham has become the UK’s new Prime Minister, following a trip to Buckingham Palace after Keir Starmer formally resigned. In his first speech Burnham has set out his domestic priorities. Responding to the appointment of Andy Burnham and his first speech as the new Prime Minister of the UK, Jonathan Geldart, Director General of…
Read moreThe percentage of small businesses predicting growth has fallen to 24% – its lowest level for 12-years, with significant downturns in the construction (15%), retail (21%) and hospitality (21%) sectors. Whilst small business growth forecasts rose modestly in the north west, they fell in every other region of England and Wales – with the position…
Read moreThe UK’s economy returned to growth of 0.1 per cent in May after contracting the previous month, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In the three months to May, the economy grew by 0.7 per cent after previously slowing in the second quarter. Growth was driven by the services sector, which…
Read moreUK businesses are under growing strain as supply chain costs surge, with nearly three-quarters (72%) of business leaders reporting increases in the past year – double the level seen over the previous two years (36%), according to RSM research, The data showed that almost a third of businesses said they recovered from price shocks within…
Read moreThe next 12 months could see a significant contraction in the small-business and self-employed community, according to new research by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). In the second quarter of this year, the proportion of small firms that expect to grow over the next year reached its lowest ever point in the history of…
Read moreLatest data from Allianz Trade showed that the Cash Collection Cycle (CCC) rose again in 2025 (67 days) and appears to have settled at a structurally high plateau, with the driver being inventories, with companies moving away from ‘just-in-time’ efficiency toward ‘just-in-case’ resilience. The UK maintained a 40-day cash collection cycle in 2025, shorter than…
Read moreMore than one in five (22%) SMEs fear they could be forced out of business over problems paying tax bills in the next five years, according to new research from Premium Credit. The study of SME owners and managers found nearly two out of five (39%) say they have missed up to four tax bill…
Read moreThe Business and Trade Committee has asked the Department to reconsider the Government’s ‘inadequate’ response to proposals to improve UK plans for small business growth. In February of this year the Committee reported that small businesses across the UK were facing cost pressures comparable to the conditions of the pandemic, but without pandemic-style support packages.…
Read moreBusiness activity in the UK financial services sector has sharply declined, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). The net reading for business activity fell from 65 in March to -58 in June. Firms reported deteriorating profitability and cited poor investment returns as a key growth limitation. The quarterly survey also found that sentiment…
Read moreAround two-thirds (63%) of people are set to take a holiday this summer, bringing a related boost to the UK retail economy according to KPMG UK’s latest quarterly Consumer Pulse survey. The data showed that demand, other spending plans over the coming three months, as well as the impact that the Iran conflict had on…
Read moreNew data from Zempler Bank has shown that confidence among operators remains low, with just under one-quarter (24%) saying they feel confident about growth and nearly one in five (18%) questioning their long-term viability. In response to ongoing economic challenges, 75% have raised prices in the past 12 months, 55% have cut staff hours and…
Read moreBusiness confidence has fallen to its lowest level in four years, according to the ICAEW Business Confidence Monitor. The index recorded a score of minus 14.6 for the second quarter, marking six consecutive quarters of negative reading, the joint-longest streak since the 2008 financial crisis. Negative confidence readings typically coincide with difficult periods for businesses…
Read moreDelayed finance approvals are having a significant impact on the UK’s mid-sized businesses, with more than one in five (22%) losing opportunities to competitors as a result of funding delays, according to new research by Shawbrook. These delays have led to a series of setbacks, with 22% having. to delay significant investment whilst 20% have…
Read more