Business

Water company United Utilities has reported hundreds of millions in profit as it seeks to further increase customer bills. The utility serving seven million customers in the northwest of England recorded £335.7m in underlying operating profits for the first half of this year, up nearly 23% from £271.1m a year ago. It comes as the

The jobs of more than half of the workforce at the DIY chain Homebase are at risk after the retailer’s owners called in administrators following a failed attempt at a sale. Sky News reported earlier on Wednesday that around 1,500 people were set to keep their roles as 75 of the 130 stores were set

A union representing Post Office staff has lashed out at proposals that could result in significantly more than 1,000 workers losing their jobs, describing them as “immoral”. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) signalled a fight ahead as the Post Office confirmed details of its transformation plan – first revealed by Sky News on Tuesday. The

The Post Office is drawing up plans to close dozens of branches and axe hundreds of head office jobs as it tries to place its finances on a sustainable long-term footing. Sky News has learnt that the state-owned company is preparing to announce in the coming days that it will shut or seek alternative franchising

The UK’s jobless rate has risen by more than expected, raising questions over whether the new government’s early warnings on the state of the economy have backfired. Official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the unemployment rate at 4.3% over the three months to September. That was higher than the 4.1% figure

There has been no discussion of how much Fujitsu, the maker of the faulty Post Office software Horizon, should contribute to compensating its victims, the company’s Europe chief executive has said. The company has been in discussion with the government about paying towards its proposed billion-pound spend on redress for victims of the computer programme

The steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta is to seek court approval for a restructuring of the bulk of its remaining operations in Britain. Sky News has learnt that Liberty Steel, Mr Gupta’s privately owned company, is on Monday launching a restructuring plan for its Speciality Steel division in the UK (SSUK) that would significantly reduce its

A pair of Wall Street banking giants have hired lawyers to represent them in the escalating battle for the future of Thames Water. Sky News has learnt that JP Morgan and Bank of America, which hold financial instruments in Thames Water’s capital structure known as swaps, have engaged Simpson Thacher to advise them on their

Rachel Reeves will this weekend be told by some of Britain’s biggest hospitality groups that the tax hikes imposed in last month’s Budget risk triggering a tsunami of job losses across the sector. Sky News has learnt that dozens of bosses from pub, restaurant and hotel operators have agreed to sign a letter to the

In a significant legal victory, thousands of Bolt drivers have been recognised as workers, securing rights to paid holidays and a minimum wage. This landmark ruling, handed down by an employment tribunal on Friday, is expected to see more than £200m in compensation awarded to 15,000 drivers represented by law firm Leigh Day. The tribunal

The baby formula market is a “broken system” that needs urgent government intervention, according to a leading charity.   Feed UK welcomed the Competition and Markets Authority report that calls for change in the formula milk industry aimed at easing financial pressures on parents struggling to afford it. Clare Murphy, co-director of charity Feed, said: “The

The advisory firm which managed the insolvency of Bulb Energy in 2021 is kicking off a hunt for new backers in a process that could value it at about $2bn (£1.5bn). Sky News has learnt that Teneo, which is based in the US, has begun approaching prospective investors in recent days to gauge their appetite

The baby formula market needs to be shaken up to help parents struggling to afford it, according to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).  Its interim report concluded there are “limited incentives” for the industry to compete on prices and that parents have suffered the consequences of high prices. Among its recommendations is a

The Bank of England has forecast Rachel Reeves’ first budget as chancellor will increase inflation by up to half a percentage point over the next two years, contributing to a slower decline in interest rates than previously thought. Announcing a widely anticipated 0.25 percentage point cut in the base rate to 4.75%, the Bank’s Monetary

The US central bank has cut interest rates for the second time in a row as the independent agency’s future becomes uncertain under a second Donald Trump presidency. The Federal Reserve, known as the Fed, has brought rates down to 4.5% to 4.75%. Unlike the UK, the US interest rate is a range to guide

Donald Trump’s victory was secured on an unequivocal promise to stretched American households that he would “end inflation”, but markets and economists are anticipating his second term will do the opposite. A combination of corporate tax cuts, government borrowing, lower migration and swingeing tariffs on overseas imports are all expected to heat up the American

London Underground drivers have been suspended planned strikes over pay after saying they received an “improved offer”. Members of Aslef were due to walk out on Thursday and again next Tuesday – which would have heavily impacted Tube services. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union had already called off strikes by its members after resolving

NatWest Group, the high street banking group, has struck what is thought to be the UK’s biggest-ever deal to outsource pension payments to a specialist insurance company. Sky News has learnt that pension trustees at NatWest, which is on track to become wholly owned by private sector investors after more than 15 years in partial

Whitbread, the FTSE-100 owner of the Premier Inn hotel chain, has kicked off the search for a successor to Adam Crozier, its chairman. Sky News has learnt that headhunters acting for Whitbread have begun sounding out possible candidates for the post. Mr Crozier, who has chaired the company since 2018, is expected to step down

A £15bn merger between two of the UK’s biggest mobile networks could get the green light – if they stick to their commitments to invest in the country’s infrastructure, the competition watchdog has said. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the merger of Vodafone and Three had “the potential to be pro-competitive for the