New £2.20 vaping tax comes into force across the UK today
A new UK-wide excise duty on vaping products has come into force, charging £2.20 for every 10ml of vaping liquid manufactured in or imported into the country.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readLatest in Business
UK defence spending with British industry reaches record £34.1bn
Ministry of Defence figures show spending with UK industry and commerce reached a record £34.1 billion in 2025/26, up 3.2% in real terms.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readBentley completes £350m UK investment as automotive commitments top £1bn in seven days
Bentley has completed a £350 million investment at its Crewe plant as the Government says automotive investment announcements have topped £1 billion in seven days.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readIneos mothballs three UK chemical plants as Ratcliffe attacks energy costs
Ineos is suspending production at three chemical units in Hull, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe blaming high gas prices and carbon costs for making UK manufacturing uncompetitive.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readBurnham to press EU for UK inclusion in ‘Made in Europe’ scheme
Prime Minister Andy Burnham is expected to argue that Britain should be treated as a trusted partner under the EU’s emerging ‘Made in Europe’ rules, amid concern over the effect on UK steel and automotive supply chains.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readLib Dems demand special administration for Thames Water and customer-owned water companies
The Liberal Democrats have called for failing water companies to become customer-owned mutuals and for Thames Water to be placed immediately into special administration.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readMcLaren announces £500m UK expansion creating 1,000 jobs in major manufacturing boost
McLaren Automotive is investing around £500 million to expand its UK manufacturing and engineering operations, creating 1,000 jobs by 2032 and potentially supporting thousands more across the supply chain.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readGovernment moves to bring Speciality Steel UK into public ownership in bid to protect 1,300 jobs
The Government will work towards the public acquisition of Speciality Steel UK after rejecting a private-sector proposal, with more than 1,300 jobs supported across four sites.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readUK economy grows 0.4% in July as GDP smashes forecasts
The UK economy grew by 0.4% in July, significantly beating expectations for no growth, as services and computer programming helped drive the stronger-than-expected performance.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readJaguar Land Rover confirms 4,000 job cuts as carmaker targets £1.7bn savings
Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed plans to cut around 4,000 jobs globally over two years as the carmaker targets £1.7 billion of savings, with ministers preparing further talks with the company.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readHealey unveils £150m fund to back fast-growing businesses across North of England
Chancellor John Healey is unveiling a £150 million British Business Bank fund offering investments of £5 million to £15 million to fast-growing companies across the North of England.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readGovernment rules out taxpayer bailout for Jaguar Land Rover as thousands of jobs face axe
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has ruled out a taxpayer-funded bailout for Jaguar Land Rover as the carmaker prepares major job cuts, while leaving the door open to support for long-term investment.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readGovernment launches business red-tape overhaul with more firms set to escape audits and reporting rules
The Government has announced plans to simplify UK corporate reporting, potentially exempting some medium-sized companies from audits and removing reporting requirements for thousands of smaller firms.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readBadenoch sacks Mel Stride as Andrew Griffith becomes Shadow Chancellor
Kemi Badenoch has removed Sir Mel Stride as Shadow Chancellor and promoted Andrew Griffith to lead the Conservatives' economic team, with Claire Coutinho taking over the business brief.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readBurnham launches ‘cowboy builders’ and bailiffs crackdown — but flagship trader scheme will be voluntary
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has launched a crackdown on rogue builders and private bailiffs, including a new Approved Code and milestone-linked payment system — but participation in the flagship trader scheme will be voluntary.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readReform UK pledges to scrap GDPR and replace it with 'light-touch' privacy regime
Reform UK has pledged to replace the UK's GDPR framework with a lighter-touch privacy regime modelled on New Zealand as part of a wider package aimed at small businesses.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readTravelodge chief steps down amid political pressure over hotel security
Travelodge chief executive Joanna Boydell is stepping down after the hotel company faced sustained political scrutiny over guest security and its room-access procedures.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readZia Yusuf Threatens Vodafone Directors With Prison Over Care4Calais SIM Cards
Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf has warned Vodafone chief executive Margherita Della Valle and the company’s directors that they could face prison under a future Reform government if SIM cards continue to be supplied through Care4Calais.
Charlotte Mercer · 6 min readGovernment Contracts to Give Greater Weight to British Jobs and Skills
Businesses bidding for major central government contracts will receive greater credit for creating local jobs, apprenticeships, training and work placements under procurement rules taking effect in January 2027.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readWhitbread to Close Remaining Beefeater Restaurants, Citing Rising Cost Pressures
Whitbread has announced plans to close all remaining Beefeater restaurants, saying significant cost increases, including measures announced in the Government's Autumn Budget, have made the business unsustainable.
Staff member · 2 min read