Business leaders have warned that thousands of jobs are at risk because of the government’s “illogical” decision to close pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels across London in response to surging coronavirus cases.
Category: News
The latest news affecting small and medium sized (SME) businesses in the UK
Banks to claim back loan cash handed to fraudsters from government
Banks believe they can claim on the government guarantee attached to coronavirus loans that turn out to be fraudulent.
Insolvency practitioners must report Covid scheme fraud
Insolvency practitioners have been instructed to report fraudulent coronavirus loan applications to the government, ahead of an expected surge in company failures next year.
Brexit deadline extended after progress on tariffs
Britain and the EU pledged to “go the extra mile” yesterday to try to secure a post-Brexit trade deal, extending talks after progress on the contentious issue of tariffs.
HMRC scrambles to hire hundreds of advisors to help businesses with Brexit red tape
Tax officials have been scrambling to hire hundreds of advisers to help businesses deal with red tape when moving goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland after Brexit.
Firms build stockpiles amid no‑deal Brexit fears
Car giants and grocers are scrambling to create stockpiles in case a no-deal Brexit severs supply chains.
Sir James Dyson’s farms hoover up EU cash
The billionaire Brexit backer Sir James Dyson has seen profits jump at his farming business on the back of EU subsidies.
Heathrow could lose 2,000 retail jobs because of ‘tourist tax’
Heathrow could lose 2,000 retail jobs because of the government’s decision not to offer tax-free shopping for tourists, according to the airport’s chief executive.
Bottlenecks at UK ports could result in Christmas present shortage
Home bakers and DIY enthusiasts look set to be the latest victims of the chaos at British ports as suppliers warned that orders might not arrive for Christmas.
No-deal Brexit is most likely scenario, says Ursula von der Leyen
A no-deal Brexit is more probable than finding agreement on fishing and “level playing field” competition rules, Ursula von der Leyen warned European Union leaders this morning.
Claudine Reid MBE to lead Lloyds banking group’s work to support the black business community
Claudine Reid MBE has today been announced as the chair of Lloyds Banking Group’s Black Business Advisory Committee, convened to help the Group better understand the needs of Black business owners and aspiring business owners.
Ocado stockpiles long-life products in case of no-deal Brexit
Ocado is stockpiling long-life products such as Italian beer in readiness for a no-deal Brexit but said it did not have enough warehouse space to build big reserves and could do little to mitigate the feared disruption to fresh food imports.
Jaguar Land Rover’s Castle Bromwich plant partially shuts until Christmas
Jaguar Land Rover has shut down production at its Castle Bromwich factory until Christmas because “an issue related to Covid” has prevented the delivery of key materials, in another sign of the strains facing the UK automotive industry.
Lloyds Bank reveals black staff are paid 20% less than their peers
Lloyds Banking Group has revealed that its black staff are being paid nearly 20% less than their colleagues, as it became the first major UK bank to disclose its black pay gap.
Car battery firm scraps plan to build UK’s first gigafactory in Wales
Efforts to build up Wales’s automotive industry have received another blow, after a company seeking to build Britain’s first large electric car battery plant abandoned south Wales in favour of a new location in northern England.