Business

The world’s first Salt and Sugar Reformulation tax could be added to food sold in shops, cafes and canteens in England as part of a new National Food Strategy. A review commissioned by the government says a £3 per kg tax on sugar and a £6 per kg tax on salt sold for use in

Shoppers at Sainsbury’s will be encouraged to keep wearing masks in stores next week even though it will no longer be legally required. The company became the first major supermarket to reveal its stance hours after the government published guidance saying it “expects and recommends that people continue to wear a face covering in crowded,

Musicians and songwriters receive “pitiful returns” from streaming and the entire model is in need of a “complete reset”, an inquiry has concluded. Following several hearings involving stars including Chic’s Nile Rodgers, Elbow’s Guy Garvey, Radiohead‘s Ed O’Brien and solo singer Nadine Shah, as well as bosses from major record labels and streaming platforms, the

The Daily Mail’s founding family is plotting an offer to take the company behind Britain’s biggest-selling national newspaper private – move that would end 90 years of stock market history. Daily Mail & General Trust (DMGT) confirmed Sky News’ exclusive revelation on Monday that Rothermere Continuation Limited (RCL) is considering an £810m bid for the

Uber will this week name a former Tesco executive as the head of its European delivery arm amid a frenzy of competition in the rapid grocery sector. Sky News understands that Eve Henrikson, who spent years working for Britain’s biggest online grocer, is joining the owner of the world’s best-known ride-hailing app as regional general

Tony Hayward, the former BP chief executive, is plotting the flotation of a new ‘blank cheque’ company that will seek to capitalise on booming investor appetite for companies exposed to the world’s multi-trillion dollar shift to cleaner energy. Sky News has learnt that Mr Hayward is in advanced talks to list Energy Transition Partners, a

Pension watchdogs are scrutinising the collapse of Ralph & Russo, the upmarket British-based fashion brand which is now at the centre of a legal fight. Sky News understands that The Pensions Regulator is examining the treatment of the company’s retirement scheme in the period before administrators were called in in March. The status of the

The government is considering paying families to help them offset the rising cost of gas bills and to incentivise a switch to green heating. The potential scheme, first reported in The Times newspaper and confirmed by Sky News, means that the amount paid would remain the same even if a homeowner reduced their gas bills

Business leaders say employers should be willing to be flexible on working hours on Monday, to enable football fans to celebrate England’s Euro 2020 victory… or recover from defeat. England face Italy in the tournament on Sunday night in their biggest game for men’s football since the 1966 World Cup final. The match will be

There was a time, in the wake of the first wave of COVID-19, that politicians and economists yearned for a V-shaped recovery – an immediate bounce-back from the financial devastation of lockdowns. The second wave put paid to that, and as we tiptoe out of the most recent restrictions, the line drawn by GDP is

Cigarette maker Philip Morris International says it will buy Vectura Group as part of an expansion beyond tobacco and nicotine. The deal values Vectura at £1.05bn and its shareholders will get 150p per share in cash, the British pharmaceutical company said in a joint statement with Philip Morris (PMI). Vectura had agreed to a £958m

The economy grew by 0.8% in May but remains 3.1% below its pre-pandemic peak, according to the Office for National Statistics. The figure was just over half of the 1.5% growth predicted by economists and it was also lower than the 2% growth seen in April, when restrictions eased for non-essential retailers, hairdressers, pubs and

One of the world’s biggest buyout firms is weighing a spectacular £5.5bn takeover bid for Wm Morrison, Britain’s fourth-largest supermarket chain by market share. Sky News has learnt that Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) is in the early stages of evaluating an offer for the grocer, a move that would send fresh shockwaves through the

AstraZeneca and the EU have both claimed victory in a court ruling over the supply of COVID-19 vaccines. The two sides have had a rocky relationship over the past few months, with the European Union accusing the vaccine maker of not producing supplies fast enough. AstraZeneca was contracted to do its best to deliver 300

The prospect of a full-scale investor revolt at JD Sports Fashion grew on Friday when another leading adviser warned shareholders over bonuses awarded to its bosses despite refusing to repay government support. Sky News has learnt that the Investment Association’s influential IVIS service has ‘red-topped’ JD Sports over votes on bonus payments and its future

A leading business group is forecasting the UK economy could bounce back from COVID sooner than expected, and Ian King is joined by the CBI’s chief economist. Also today, the coronavirus pandemic forces the cancellation of the Notting Hill Carnival for a second year; and as England and Scotland meet in Euro 2020, Ian asks

A wealth management platform which works with a fifth of Britain’s financial advisers has drawn takeover interest from a blank cheque company set up by Bernard Arnault, one of the world’s richest men. Sky News has learnt that Pegasus Europe, an Amsterdam-listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), was among the parties which tabled bids for

Almost since Channel 4 launched 38 years ago, with the first episode of Countdown, there has been speculation that it is facing privatisation. In January 1983, just two months after the channel launched, Kevin Goldstein-Jackson – the executive who helped launch hits like Tales of the Unexpected and who later headed the ITV franchise operator

Bridgepoint, the private equity firm, is to take a big stake in Itsu, the Asian fast-food chain – a deal that will revive one of the UK casual dining industry’s most successful partnerships. Sky News has learnt that Bridgepoint is putting the finishing touches to a deal, with an announcement possible as soon as Monday.

Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket chain, has admitted it faces a shortage of drivers for its lorries as the haulage industry warns of a widespread UK delivery crisis ahead. Ken Murphy, Tesco’s chief executive, told a call with analysts after the company’s first quarter results that it was “working hard” to address its shortfall through