Business

Strong business growth and record price pressures this month should give the “green light” for a pre-Christmas interest rate hike, according to a closely-watched survey. November’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) showed growth slipping very slightly from the month before but still pointing to an end-of-year pick up for the economy after a third quarter slowdown,

Opposition politicians have ridiculed Boris Johnson after he struggled to get through a keynote address to business leaders, despite claiming afterwards he thought the speech “went over well”. In the speech to the Confederation of British Industry, the prime minister praised the cartoon Peppa Pig, made car engine noises, and compared his 10-point plan for

The UK “feels like a branch line economy” in many areas after years of neglect in left-behind parts of the country, according to the head of the CBI. Tony Danker argues that the successful delivery of the government’s “levelling up” agenda will be determined by whether it delivers economic growth in every part of the

The Official Receiver is advancing a legal claim against the auditors of Carillion, the collapsed construction giant, that could target as much as £1bn in damages. Sky News understands that the liquidators of the former FTSE-100 constituent filed a claim form against KPMG on Friday – a move which gives the claimant four months to

Virgin Atlantic Airways is drawing up plans for a fresh £400m funding injection as prospects fade for an initial public offering (IPO) of Sir Richard Branson’s flagship company. Sky News has learnt that the transatlantic carrier is in talks with its shareholders and other financial stakeholders about raising additional capital to see it through the

Ian looks at the latest government borrowing figures – and discusses why they’re higher than expected. He talks to Nationwide as half-year profits more than double, and retail sales return to growth – as shoppers start their Christmas spending early. We also have the boss of advertising giant, Clear Channel, and the chief executive of

Grant Shapps has said promises the government made to the North on rail are “absolutely being fulfilled” despite the eastern leg of HS2 to Leeds being scrapped and plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail being downgraded. The transport secretary told Sky News that the government’s new £96bn Integrated Rail Plan for the North and the Midlands

Ryanair has confirmed plans to abandon its London listing, in a move that will be seen as a post-Brexit snub to the UK’s financial centre. The no-frills carrier had said at the start of the month that it was considering the idea due to a fall in trading volumes of its shares on the London

Retail sales rose for the first time in six months during October, according to official figures, suggesting shoppers started their hunt for Christmas gifts early as pressure intensifies on household budgets. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported a 0.8% increase in volumes last month compared to September – with clothing among categories leading the

From leaves on the line to the wrong kind of snow, rail travellers are used to creative excuses. Today, Boris Johnson and Grant Shapps asked the travelling public of the North and the Midlands to swallow another. A long-promised plan for new high-speed lines linking Birmingham, Leeds, and Manchester has been abandoned, they said, because

The eastern leg of HS2 has been scrapped and plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail have been downgraded, Grant Shapps has confirmed. The transport secretary told MPs that a new £96bn Integrated Rail Plan for the north and the Midlands will instead deliver “faster” train journeys both earlier and cheaper than the original HS2 plans would

The chairman of M&S has written to Brexit minister Lord Frost to warn that EU plans to end its stand-off with the UK over Northern Ireland threaten to add to, not ease, red tape. Archie Norman said the Brussels offer “could result in worsening friction and cost and a high level of ambiguity and scope

The rate of inflation has hit its highest level for a decade as prices rise across the UK economy, with fuel and energy costs leading the way. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that the consumer prices index (CPI) measure jumped to 4.2% in October from 3.1% the previous month – a bigger leap

The chairman of the Premier League is on the brink of resigning following a backlash from clubs over its handling of the Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle United. Sky News has learnt that Gary Hoffman, who only took up the non-executive post 18 months ago, is close to finalising his exit after coming under pressure to

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has hailed the “extraordinary success” of the furlough scheme as official figures suggest a “small” number of jobs were lost at its demise. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported a rise of 160,000 in payrolled employment between September and October. Treasury data had shown there were 1.14 million jobs on furlough

Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has admitted he is “very uneasy” about high inflation – but dismissed the idea that Britain could face a 1970s style wage-price spiral. Mr Bailey was being questioned by MPs over the Bank’s latest decision to leave interest rates on hold at a record low of 0.1% – surprising

More than 300,000 workers are set to receive a pay rise after higher rates were announced for the Real Living Wage, the voluntary rate paid by thousands of employers. The Living Wage Foundation, which sets the rates, said the new hourly rate would be £11.05 in London and £9.90 outside the capital. They amount to

A US-listed real estate investment trust has won a hotly contested auction of one of Britain’s biggest holiday resort operators in a knockout deal that underlines the sector’s post-pandemic boom. Sky News has learnt that Sun Communities has agreed to pay in the region of £900m for Park Holidays, which owns more than 30 sites

Lord Cruddas, the Conservative peer, is exploring a surprise break-up of CMC Markets, the financial spread-betting firm he founded 32 years ago, into two separately listed companies. Sky News has learnt that the board of CMC could announce within days that it has begun work on the potential split. City sources said this weekend that

There has been a “change in tone” from the UK in the latest round of talks on the Northern Ireland Protocol, the EU has said. Speaking at a news conference following discussions in London, European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic said: “I acknowledge and welcome the change in tone of discussion with David Frost today, and