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New polling suggests that over half of Britons (52%) support increasing taxes on online gambling, with many prioritising a hike in gambling duties over other taxes such as income tax, VAT, and fuel duties. This comes as the Social Market Foundation (SMF) releases a report advocating for a significant increase in Remote Gaming Duty from…

Labour’s shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is being urged to reform inheritance and capital gains taxes to help address the UK’s growing fiscal deficit, with proposals from think tank Demos outlining potential changes that could raise up to £2.6 billion annually. Research by Demos suggests a new banded inheritance tax system, which could bring in £16…

Growing concerns about tax increases have led nearly 30% of business owners in the UK to accelerate plans to sell their companies, according to new analysis from wealth management firm Evelyn Partners. The survey, conducted among 500 business owners with turnovers of at least £5 million, found that 29% of respondents had sped up their…

The UK economy returned to growth in August, expanding by 0.2% after two months of stagnation, according to official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This growth was in line with economists’ expectations, following 0% growth recorded in June and July. The ONS data showed that the economy also grew by 0.2% over…

Angela Rayner, Deputy Prime Minister, is set to grant an additional 9 million UK workers the right to sue their employers for unfair dismissal from the first day of their employment, as part of a sweeping overhaul of workers’ rights. Currently, employees must be with a company for two years before they qualify for these…

eBay is set to ban the sale of e-bikes and their batteries by private individuals in the UK from 31 October, citing rising concerns over battery fires. From this date, only “eligible business sellers” will be permitted to list these items, though the company has not yet clarified the specific criteria for eligibility. E-bikes, which…

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to introduce significant tax cuts for electric car, heat pump, and biofuel manufacturers to accelerate the UK’s path to net zero. The business group is advocating for slashing the corporation tax rate for companies involved in these sectors to 10%, down from the current…

The cost to UK taxpayers for subsidising Southeastern, one of Britain’s largest rail operators, has soared to £415 million in the year to March, according to the latest corporate filings. This figure is more than three times the subsidy the company received before the Covid-19 pandemic, despite fare rises and increased passenger numbers. Southeastern, which…

If you’ve been paying any attention to the news in recent years you will know that Britain has a productivity ‘problem’. August publications such as the Financial Times, and The Economist will tell you Britain’s ‘poor productivity’ is ‘holding us back’ as a country on the world stage. Institutions from the London School of Economics,…

A new duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment is imminent. What do businesses need to do to prepare? From 26 October 2024, employers will be under a new duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their workers. This new preventative duty is contained in the Worker Protection…

The motor industry is calling on the UK government to cut VAT on new electric vehicles (EVs) and public charging points in an effort to counter a slowdown in the EV market. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has written an open letter to the Chancellor, urging for a VAT reduction on electric…

Canary Wharf has taken an unexpected turn in its efforts to revitalise the area, welcoming European eels and songbirds as part of a new initiative to boost biodiversity and enhance the appeal of its waterside environment. This latest move comes as the office district grapples with a post-pandemic decline in occupancy, as remote working reshapes…

Here we speak with Brendan Noud, co-founder and CEO of LearnUpon, a pioneering Learning Management System (LMS) company that has revolutionized how businesses deliver training to their employees, partners, and customers. Having identified a gap in the market for customer-centric LMS solutions, Brendan and his co-founder, Des Anderson, built LearnUpon from the ground up with…

eBay UK has announced the removal of selling fees for private sellers across all categories except motors, as part of its ongoing efforts to streamline and enhance the marketplace experience. Private sellers will no longer have to pay final value or regulatory operating fees, making it easier and more profitable to sell on the platform….

Next’s chief executive, Lord Wolfson, has sold a £29m stake in the retail giant ahead of potential changes to the capital gains tax (CGT) system, expected in Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s maiden Budget next month. New filings reveal that the Conservative peer offloaded 290,000 shares between Friday and Tuesday, valuing his total stake at £29.2m. Prior…