The UK is on course for a quarter of a million shortfall in skilled tradespeople by 2030, as the current apprenticeship system fails to attract new entrants into key trades such as plumbing, carpentry, and electrical work, according to Screwfix. Chief executive John Mewett warned that the apprenticeship levy “doesn’t work for small businesses,” leaving sole traders — who make ...
Frasers Group has warned Unite the Union against taking “reckless and irresponsible” industrial action after the trade body threatened strikes across the retailer’s warehouses in a dispute over pay. In a strongly worded letter to Unite general secretary Sharon Graham, Sir Jonathan Thompson, chairman of Frasers Group, said he was “extremely saddened” by what he described as the union’s “inflammatory ...
Saudi Arabia has taken a decisive step toward becoming the world’s gaming hub after its $55 billion (£41 billion) acquisition of US game publisher Electronic Arts (EA) — the largest leveraged buyout in corporate history. The deal, orchestrated through the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the kingdom’s $700 billion sovereign wealth fund, gives Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman control over one ...
Morrisons is introducing a new tracking system to monitor how quickly its shop floor staff stack shelves, as the supermarket embarks on a major operational overhaul to improve efficiency and win back shoppers. The new performance monitoring app, which is being rolled out across hundreds of stores, allows managers to see real-time data on staff productivity — including how fast ...
Electric vehicle (EV) sales in the UK hit a record high in September, boosted by new government subsidies that helped lure more buyers back into the market during the industry’s most crucial month of the year. According to preliminary data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), sales of battery-powered cars rose by nearly a third compared with ...
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is preparing to inject up to £500 million into its supply chain to prevent a wave of insolvencies among parts makers after a cyberattack brought production to a standstill and left thousands of UK suppliers struggling for cash. The initiative, expected to be finalised within days, will see JLR lend directly to its first-tier suppliers through ...
Britain’s leading banks have warned the government against capping the resale prices of concert and event tickets, claiming the move would push ticket touts and fraudulent sellers onto unregulated social media platforms. In a submission to ministers, UK Finance, the trade body representing Lloyds, NatWest, HSBC, Barclays and more than 300 other financial institutions, said proposed ticket price caps could ...
Business activity across the UK slowed sharply in September as mounting anxiety over the government’s delayed autumn budget led companies and households to postpone investment and spending decisions. The S&P Global composite purchasing managers’ index (PMI) — a closely watched measure of private-sector health — fell to 50.1 from 53.5 in August, marking its weakest reading since early spring. While ...
President Donald Trump made a social media post about Hamas on Sunday evening, minutes before the deadline for a peace proposal passed. The deadline was 6 p.m. ET Sunday. In a message on Truth Social, Trump wrote that there had been ‘very positive discussions with Hamas, and Countries from all over the World (Arab, Muslim, and everyone else) this weekend, ...
Bitcoin broke through the $125,000 mark for the first time on Sunday, extending a powerful rally that analysts say could continue into the end of the year. The world’s largest cryptocurrency jumped 3 per cent in Asian trading to reach $125,245, propelled by institutional inflows, a weaker US dollar, and renewed political support for digital assets in Washington. The milestone ...