Business

It might be tempting, given how much coverage has focused on it recently, to assume the forthcoming changes to inheritance tax regime are the single biggest issue facing farmers these days.  But the reality is these tax changes come at a moment of extraordinary pressure, with farmers having to contend with a swathe of unsettling

The Daily Telegraph’s publisher is to hand hundreds of staff a £500 bonus this month as uncertainty over its ownership looks set to stretch into a third calendar year. Sky News has seen an email sent on Thursday by Anna Jones, Telegraph Media Group’s chief executive, in which she told employees that they would receive

Currys has warned of a drop in consumer sentiment over the past six months, with the chain plotting price rises to help offset the impact of the new Labour government’s first budget. Alex Baldock, the retailer’s chief executive, told reporters that progress in tackling financial pressures on households had “stalled in recent months”. He noted

Labour’s rural problem has reared its head once more. This time, the government is facing down fierce opposition over changes to inheritance tax. Unless a breakthrough is achieved, Labour’s rural problem risks becoming everyone’s problem. Protesters showed no sign of backing down on Tuesday. Farmers from across rural Britain got up in the middle of

A $10bn-plus takeover bid for one of America’s biggest pharmacy chains is set to trigger a fresh auction of Boots the Chemist after a string of aborted attempts to sell the British retail giant. Sky News understands that Sycamore Partners, the private equity firm, is expected to seek separate ownership for Boots if it succeeds

Eliminating all pollution incidents in the Thames Water network will be “almost impossible” and a public debate is needed about the real cost of ending all sewage outflows, chief executive Chris Weston has said.  Speaking as the company’s interim results revealed pollution incidents were up 40%, Mr Weston said “rising expectations” from customers about water

Thames Water has revealed a 40% spike in sewage spills while warning that a looming decision on what it can charge customers is “fundamental to our future”. The UK’s biggest supplier, which has been battling to avert the prospect of a special administration amid a massive debt pile, has consistently argued that the regulator’s ruling

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said she is “overwhelmed” by the response to the UK’s first attendance at an EU finance ministers’ meeting since Brexit. No negotiations nor demands were made at this point, Ms Reeves said, but they will start in the new year. UK government red lines on Brexit were reiterated – that there

Police divers are combing through underwater areas of New York’s Central Park in the hunt for evidence about the killer of a healthcare boss. Detectives searching for the man believed to have targeted UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson have found a backpack and have multiple images of the suspect. But, so far, they have not found

A London-listed marketing specialist backed by Lord Ashcroft, the former Conservative Party treasurer, will this week announce the purchase of a key digital partner to sporting properties including the Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup. Sky News has learnt that Brave Bison, which trades on the junior AIM exchange and has a market capitalisation of just

Harland & Wolff (H&W), the shipyard-owner which built the Titanic, is closing on a government-backed rescue deal with a Spanish shipping industry group. Sky News can reveal that Navantia has won approval from Downing Street to acquire H&W’s four UK shipyards in a transaction which could be formally agreed as early as next week. If

Fourteen new trains are to be built at a Hitachi plant in County Durham, securing hundreds of jobs. The plan safeguards 700 jobs with a £500m investment for the Newton Aycliffe site. The plant and its workers had faced an uncertain future with an upcoming gap in its order book before work begins on HS2

Dale Vince, the activist and entrepreneur, has accused the owners of The Guardian of telling “a complete untruth” about his interest in taking control of The Observer. Speaking to Sky News, Mr Vince, who has extensive interests in green energy and owns Forest Green Rovers Football Club, said his discussions with Guardian Media Group (GMG)

The owner of The Guardian is pressing ahead with the sale of the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper to a fledgling digital media company, just hours after scores of journalists went on strike in protest at the deal. Guardian Media Group (GMG) and its parent, the Scott Trust, confirmed on Friday that the sale of The

Across Europe, car companies are cutting jobs and shutting factories – to the extent that some question their very existence. So it’s worth asking the question: what’s gone wrong with Europe (and for that matter America’s) car industry? While some will reach for their own pet conclusions (Brexit! Electric vehicle deadlines! Government regulations!) in practice

Thames Water’s largest creditor group has failed to secure a veto over whether a £3bn emergency funding injection is used to settle regulatory fines imposed for a string of environmental and performance failings. Sky News can reveal that a clause stipulating that the company’s A lenders – which account for well over £10bn of the

The competition watchdog has approved the creation of the UK’s biggest phone network by allowing the merger of Three and Vodafone. Regulator the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) issued the decision despite previously saying tens of millions could pay more as a result of the amalgamation. CMA approval is contingent on the new entity spending

One of Britain’s biggest parcel carriers has been hit by a capacity crisis at the start of the crunch festive trading period, forcing it to urge key customers to divert business to rival delivery firms. Sky News has learnt that Yodel, which was due to recruit thousands of seasonal workers to help it deal with

Ford’s UK boss has called on the government to provide consumer incentives of up to £5,000 per car to boost demand for electric vehicles and help the industry hit challenging climate targets. Lisa Brankin, chair of Ford UK & Ireland, told Sky News that direct support for consumers to purchase zero-emission vehicles is crucial if

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has admitted efforts to overhaul unreliable data on Britain’s jobs market may not be ready until 2027. The ONS confirmed it is now “unlikely” it will be able to introduce a revamped version of its Labour Force Survey (LFS) – which is the official measure of employment and unemployment