The Racing Post is galloping towards a £500m sale as its owner looks to cash in on a surge in demand for sports betting data. Sky News has learnt that Exponent Private Equity, which acquired the horseracing bible in 2016, is in talks with investment banks about launching an auction of Spotlight Sports Group, potentially
Business
The prime minister has sought to soothe relations between France and the UK, telling journalists en route to the G20 in Rome that France is one of the UK’s “best, oldest, closest friends and allies”. Asked what he would say to President Macron when the pair meet in Rome this weekend, Mr Johnson responded: “[The]
Over 1,300 of the biggest UK-registered companies and financial institutions will soon have to make various climate-related disclosures. The disclosure standards on climate-related risks were voluntary but, following a recommendation in March, they will become mandatory from 6 April next year, subject to parliamentary approval. Those affected will include many of the UK’s largest traded
The energy regulator will conduct a consultation on how it caps bills, as many suppliers continue to struggle with increasing gas prices. Thirteen energy suppliers have gone bust since the beginning of September, beaten by soaring wholesale energy costs and unable to pass costs to customers due to the restrictions of the price caps. According
The economy has always relied on the labour of people whose work is insecure. But the pandemic left vulnerable workers in precarious and short-term employment at an even higher risk of exploitation, according to a new report seen exclusively by Sky News. The research, compiled by charity Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX), found that reports
Middle-income earners are likely to be worse off next year due to inflation and tax rises, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. IFS director Paul Johnson was delivering the organisation’s analysis of the budget presented by Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Wednesday. Mr Sunak had labelled it a “budget to usher in a new age
The number of cars built in the UK has continued to fall for the third month in a row, dropping to their lowest level for September since 1982. A total of 67,169 cars were produced in Britain last month, a decline of 41.5% year-on-year, according to a new report from the Society of Motor Manufacturers
Here are the key points from Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s budget speech: • The chancellor says there are “challenging” months ahead, adding that inflation in September was 3.1% and is likely to rise further – the OBR expect it to average 4% over the next year • Pressures caused by supply chains and energy crisis will
Rishi Sunak will deliver his Autumn Budget and Spending Review to MPs in the Commons today, setting out the government’s spending and financial strategy. It should take place at around 12:30pm, just after the conclusion of Prime Minister’s Questions. The chancellor’s address usually lasts around an hour – although in 1853 William Gladstone spoke for
Heathrow’s chief executive says the airport is “on the cusp of a recovery” as it posts its first full quarter of passenger growth since 2019. Britain’s busiest airport benefitted from strong pent-up demand for travel as pandemic-related restrictions continue to ease around the world. Passenger numbers in the third financial quarter recovered to 28% and
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said recent claims against the social media giant are an attempt to “paint a false picture of our company”. Whistleblower Frances Haugen has told MPs that groups on the social media site can be “dangerous” because they use algorithms that “take people who have mainstream interests and push them to
Petrol prices have hit a record high across the UK in what the RAC has described as a “truly dark day for drivers”. The average daily price per litre hit 142.94p on Sunday in data reported on Monday morning by RAC/Experian Catalist, which is separate from the weekly average record price reported by government. The
Users of the Tesco website and app are experiencing disruption following an “attempt to interfere” with the system, the retail giant has said. The website and app have been hit with outages since yesterday morning, meaning customers cannot place or track orders. Website users are given an error message when they try to access groceries
The boss of Hyve Group, one of the London stock market’s largest exhibition organisers, is hatching plans to bid for Money20/20, the international fintech event owned by rival Ascential. Sky News understands that Hyve is in preliminary talks with Ascential about acquiring Money20/20 in a deal that would represent a renewed bet on the global
The Co-operative Bank has made an audacious approach about a merger with TSB in a move that could trigger a fresh wave of consolidation among Britain’s mid-sized lenders. Sky News has learnt that the Co-operative Bank contacted TSB’s Spanish owner, Banco Sabadell, earlier this month to gauge its appetite for a deal. Image: TSB’s Spanish
Zapp, one of the new breed of rapid grocery delivery apps engaged in a battle for share of British shoppers’ wallets, is opening talks about a new round of funding less than seven months after tapping investors for nearly $100m (£72.5m). Sky News has learnt that Zapp has hired JP Morgan, the Wall Street banking