Barclays has reported a 19 per cent rise in first-quarter profits, as market turmoil driven by Donald Trump’s return to the White House boosted trading revenues across its investment banking arm. The FTSE 100 lender posted pre-tax profits of £2.7 billion for the three months to the end of March, beating City forecasts of £2.5 billion. The performance was powered ...
The UK’s advertising regulator has banned adverts by Lavazza and Dualit after ruling that their claims about “compostable” coffee pods were misleading to consumers. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) found that both companies had given the false impression that their coffee products could be composted at home, when in fact they require specialist industrial composting facilities to break down. Lavazza ...
The Co-operative Bank has announced a new £10,000 prize draw exclusively for its Charity and Community Account customers, as it celebrates a decade of being named the UK’s Best Charity Banking Provider by Business Moneyfacts. New and existing customers with at least £5,000 held in an eligible account before 31 July 2025 will be automatically entered into the draw, with ...
Britain’s biggest supermarkets are pumping hundreds of millions of pounds into promotional deals as competition in the grocery sector heats up amid ongoing cost of living pressures. Almost 30 per cent of supermarket spending was on special offers and discounts in the four weeks to 20 April, according to figures from market research group Kantar. The surge in promotional activity ...
Keir Starmer’s Labour government has been warned that its tough stance on benefits risks costing the UK economy more than £38 billion a year while pushing more people into poverty and increasing pressure on public services. The anti-poverty charity the Trussell Trust said that, despite Labour’s repeated promises of no return to austerity, attempts to curb welfare spending could have ...
The sugar tax currently applied to fizzy drinks could soon be extended to milkshakes and similar products under new government proposals revealed on Monday. The Treasury launched a consultation on plans to remove the exemption for dairy-based drinks—and their non-dairy alternatives such as oat and rice milk—bringing them under the scope of the soft drinks industry levy (SDIL). The government ...
President Trump is preparing to soften the blow of his new car tariffs by introducing measures that would prevent stacking duties and offer partial reimbursements to US carmakers for imported parts. The car tariffs, which came into effect on April 3 and are set to extend to car parts on May 3, had sparked concern across the automotive industry. However, ...
Airbus has finalised a major deal to acquire parts of Spirit AeroSystems’ UK business, including the historic Short Brothers factory in Belfast and key operations in Prestwick, as it moves to secure critical components for its aircraft production lines. The agreement follows Boeing’s $4.7 billion takeover of Spirit last year, a move aimed at reinforcing its supply chain. However, the ...
HSBC has set aside $876 million to cover expected bad loans, warning of growing risks from President Trump’s escalating trade war and protectionist policies that are disrupting global commerce. In its first-quarter results, the FTSE 100-listed bank revealed that $150 million of the provision was linked directly to “deterioration in the forward economic outlook” caused by sweeping new US tariffs. ...
From Lake Superior to Public Service—A Story of Purpose, Planning, and People Jonathan Bergsma is a dedicated public servant and recruiter for the Ontario Government’s Treasury Board Secretariat. Born in Georgetown, Ontario, Jonathan’s journey began in the quiet rhythms of small-town life and evolved through diverse stages—from student-athlete at the University of Toronto to a respected 23-year career in law ...