For many SMEs, growth often hinges on one big question: hire from outside your organisation or invest in who you already have? In today’s talent market – shaped by changing expectations, rising recruitment costs and tighter budgets – the answer is increasingly clear. Supporting internal development doesn’t just boost retention and reduce churn, it helps businesses build confident, capable teams ...
Reform UK has urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to seize a £20bn “lifeline” from the Bank of England by overhauling its money-printing programme, in a move the party says could plug much of Britain’s looming budget black hole. Richard Tice, Reform’s deputy leader, revealed he had pressed the case directly with Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey during a meeting this ...
Starbucks is set to close dozens of cafés and slash 900 jobs in a dramatic £750 million restructuring drive designed to revive the struggling coffee giant. Chief executive Brian Niccol revealed the overhaul in a letter to staff on Thursday, confirming that underperforming stores across North America and the UK would be shut as the world’s biggest coffee chain battles ...
The gambling market in the UK has always been subject to change, as betting companies look for new ways to appeal to the public. From the emergence of thousands of betting shops in the 1960s to the internet revolution, new trends have a habit of emerging and changing the way we gamble. One of the latest examples comes from Slingo, ...
Ryanair has been accused of turning its back on elderly travellers after confirming plans to scrap paper boarding passes in favour of a digital-only system from November. The low-cost carrier, led by Michael O’Leary, will force the 40 million passengers who currently rely on printed tickets to switch to using its smartphone app from 12 November. Campaigners said the decision ...
Artificial intelligence data centres are set to devour a massive share of the world’s electricity growth over the next decade, according to BP’s latest World Energy Outlook. The oil giant estimates that data facilities powering AI applications will account for 10% of global electricity demand growth by 2035. In the United States, the world’s most advanced AI hub, that figure ...
A 31-year-old cryptocurrency entrepreneur has stunned the tech world by raising more than £750m ($1.1bn) to build Britain’s biggest artificial intelligence data centre — despite his company never having completed one before. Josh Payne’s start-up Nscale, founded just 18 months ago, has secured heavyweight backing from Nvidia, Nokia and Norwegian investment giant Aker. The deal catapults the business into the ...
The pound fell sharply on Wednesday after Andrew Bailey suggested the Bank of England could cut interest rates if inflation eases further, in remarks that underscored the fragility of the UK economy. Sterling slipped 0.7 per cent against the dollar to $1.34 after the governor said there was “a further journey down” possible for borrowing costs, though any cuts would ...
Rachel Reeves is facing a mounting revolt from Britain’s business leaders, with chiefs across sectors warning that her tax hikes and labour reforms are throttling investment, driving out wealth, and tipping the economy toward recession. BT chief executive Allison Kirkby (pictured) warned this week that Britain is already at “peak government-inflicted costs.” Speaking at the Connected Britain conference, she revealed ...
The government is weighing extraordinary measures to shield Britain’s manufacturing base from the fallout of Jaguar Land Rover’s crippling cyberattack, including buying up parts from suppliers to prevent mass job losses. Business Secretary Peter Kyle is understood to be considering a scheme where ministers would purchase parts from JLR’s 700-strong supplier network and sell them back once production resumes. The ...