Business

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said that “better times are ahead” but that the fundamentals of the UK economy are “very strong”. Speaking to Sky News in Washington, Mr Hunt pointed to price rise data from today showing a drop in the rate of inflation as well as the latest jobs figures and IMF economic growth

Calls made to an anti-slavery helpline have reached a record high, with the number of potential victims in the care sector rising by almost a third. According to anti-slavery charity Unseen, the number of calls to the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline in 2023 increased by more than 19%, up from 9,779 in 2022 to

In the circumstances, the numbers could hardly look much better. A year or two ago, the conventional wisdom was that America was facing a terrific recession. Instead, according to the latest data from the International Monetary Fund, the US has outperformed pretty much every other major economy in the world (including China). In its latest

The UK economy is going to grow less than expected this year – with the International Monetary Fund warning the country will remain the second worst performer in the G7. Newly revised forecasts indicate the UK’s gross domestic product will expand by just 0.5% in 2024 – a slight downgrade from previous estimates in January

The future of Nick Read, the embattled Post Office chief executive, will be determined this week with the publication of a report triggered by whistleblowing allegations about the conduct of the state-owned company’s bosses. Sky News has learnt that an independent report compiled by Marianne Tutin, a barrister at Devereux Chambers, has been submitted to

The government has been accused of “betraying renters” on the fifth anniversary of a “failed” promise to ban no-fault evictions – as figures suggest that over 80,000 households have been put at risk of homelessness since then. Former Conservative prime minister Theresa May made the pledge to scrap Section 21 (S21) notices on 15 April

The former JD Sports Fashion boss who presided over its soaring stock market valuation is taking a stake in Applied Nutrition, the fast-growing sports supplement maker, as it steps up preparations for a bumper flotation. Sky News has learnt that Peter Cowgill, who left the high street giant just under two years ago, is acquiring

Getir, one of the world’s largest grocery delivery platforms, is in talks about a radical restructuring just two years after it was valued at nearly $12bn (£9.6bn). Sky News has learnt that Getir, which was founded in Turkey and now operates in five markets including the UK, is examining a number of options as part

Three of the “big four” boiler manufacturers for the UK cannot guarantee customers will be refunded the so-called “boiler tax” that companies added to new boilers earlier this year. In January boiler-makers hiked costs by up to an extra £120 per boiler to cover anticipated penalties for a green scheme – which has now been

Poor software and bias toward making only small, sequential changes is one of the reasons economic forecasters at the Bank of England failed to predict and prepare for the cost of living crisis, brought about by high inflation, according to a “once in a generation” review. The review announced last year was undertaken by the

A former Post Office boss has said he wanted “most strongly” to record his personal apology to branch managers impacted by the Horizon IT scandal. As managing director of the group from 2006 to 2010, Alan Cook was at the helm when about 200 prosecutions were brought against subpostmasters. Hundreds of people were wrongly convicted

A former Post Office executive who celebrated the conviction of a pregnant sub-postmaster has said sorry. Former managing director David Smith made the apology to the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry, which is investigating who knew what and when about the faulty accounting software that ruined lives and led to the conviction of hundreds of

Hundreds of steel workers are set to go on strike over the proposed closure of Port Talbot’s blast furnaces. Unite the Union announced the result of its strike ballot on Thursday but walkout dates are yet to be confirmed. Around 1,500 workers based in Port Talbot and Newport voted in favour of strikes. It will

The investor trying to take control of Everton Football Club has pushed back its target date for completing the deal as it scrambles to raise hundreds of millions of pounds to fund it. Sky News has learnt that 777 Partners has told stakeholders including the Premier League and prospective lenders that it now expects its

China ramped up coal power capacity last year, according to new analysis, despite a pledge to “strictly control” the dirtiest fossil fuel. The country added 47.4 Gigawatts (GW) of new coal power in 2023, more than double the amount added by the rest of the world combined. It raises concerns that gains in clean power,

More than seven million people in the UK were struggling with bills and credit repayments in January, according to a financial watchdog. The number is down significantly on the 10.9 million people in the same position in January 2023. However, it’s still above the 5.8 million recorded in February 2020, before the pandemic and the