Business

Retail giants including Asda, Marks & Spencer, Primark and Tesco will mount a new year campaign to warn Rachel Reeves that plans to hike business rates on larger shops will put jobs and stores under threat. Sky News has learnt that some of Britain’s biggest chains – which also include J Sainsbury, Morrisons and Kingfisher-owned

British billionaire Mike Ashley has been denied a seat on the board of fast-fashion business Boohoo. A majority of Boohoo shareholders rejected efforts by the Sports Direct founder at a meeting in Manchester on Friday, with 64% of votes opposing the appointment. A similar number also denied restructuring expert Mike Lennon a seat on the

Many months before farmers found themselves on the front pages of newspapers, after protesting in Whitehall against the new government’s inheritance tax rules, we at Sky News embarked upon a project. Most of our reports are relatively short affairs, recorded and edited for the evening news. We capture snapshots of life in households, businesses and

The cost of living crisis has “boosted” the secondhand industry, Sky News has been told, as more than £2bn is spent on pre-loved gifts this Christmas. Adam Jay, CEO of Vinted Marketplace, said the “trend” in buying pre-loved was “happening anyway” but described rising costs elsewhere as a possible “accelerator”. “I’m sure the cost of

The rugged mountains, limestone caves and spectacular waterfalls of Bannau Brycheiniog – the Brecon Beacons – attract visitors from all over the world. Tourism is a vital part of the local economy. But local attractions say the industry would be devastated by the Welsh government’s plans for a nightly visitor tax. “In an area like

The UK’s retail sales recovery was smaller than expected in the key Christmas shopping month of November, official figures show. Retail sales rose just 0.2% last month despite discounting events in the run-up to Black Friday. It followed a 0.7% fall seen in October, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Sales

Dating apps changed single life forever when they brought swiping, liking and ghosting to the masses. Now, nearly two million people in the UK use online dating services to find love, according to Statista. But in the 12 years since Tinder revolutionised romance, many people say they fell out of love with the process. “Most

Very few will be surprised by the Bank of England’s decision to keep rates on hold at 4.75%. What is more striking is the policy rift that has emerged. Three members of the rate-setting committee voted to cut rates while the other six opted to keep them as they are. It reflects some of the

The Bank of England has maintained its guidance for “gradual” interest rate cuts next year, following surprise support for a reduction this month. Its rate-setting committee, while deciding to keep Bank rate on hold at 4.75%, noted higher than expected wage rises and inflation despite a slowdown in the economy over the second half of

The US central bank has announced an interest rate cut, just hours before the Bank of England is tipped to refrain from following suit. The Federal Reserve cut its main funding rate by a quarter point to a new target range of 4.25%-4.5%, as markets had expected, but signalled that future reductions would happen more

What a year 2024 was. A massive election – well, two massive elections on either side of the Atlantic, and more elsewhere around the planet – followed by changes of government and plenty of economic milestones along the way. So let’s remind ourselves of some of the big moments of the year, in chart form.

English rent prices have reached another record high, growing by close to 10% in the past year, official figures show. The typical private rental price in England rose 9.3% in the year up to November, costing £116 more than 12 months earlier, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). English renters paid an average

Drinks company Thatchers has launched a bid to overturn a High Court ruling that denied its claims Aldi “copycatted” its cider. The Somerset-based cider maker sued the German discount chain for allegedly infringing the trademark of its cloudy lemon cider. It argued Aldi’s Taurus brand had copied its product. However, in January the High Court in

The government will offer compensation to Post Office Capture victims – while refusing to rule out blanket exoneration for those convicted. In an exclusive interview with Sky News, Post Office minister Gareth Thomas said his department is “working at pace” and is committed to providing redress as quickly as possible. Capture accounting software, which predates

The Royal Mail group is on its way to passing into foreign ownership, but the state will keep a “golden share” in the company. It means the government will have to approve any key changes to Royal Mail’s ownership, the location of its headquarters and tax residency. This is something the government does with companies

The sale of Royal Mail to Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky will be approved this morning, Sky News understands. Mr Kretinsky‘s company EP Group will buy the postal service’s parent company International Distribution Services (IDS). The £5.3bn takeover deal had been agreed in May but was subject to a review under national security laws as Royal