Business

The sale of Chelsea FC has been given approval by the UK government following the proposed takeover by the Todd Boehly / Clearlake Consortium. In a statement the government said it had “reached a position where we could issue a licence that permits the sale” of the club. “We are satisfied the proceeds of the

The UK’s energy price cap is expected to rise in October to around £2,800, Ofgem’s chief executive says. The cap which applies until 31 September is currently £1,971 a year, which was itself a 54% or £693 rise from the previous cap six months earlier. Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley has told the Business, Energy

British Airways’ (BA) parent company is facing a shareholder pay revolt amid criticism of proposals for an “excessive” hike in executives’ share awards despite racking up enormous losses during the pandemic. Sky News has learnt that International Airlines Group (IAG) is braced for a substantial rebellion at its annual meeting next month after Glass Lewis,

The governor of the Bank of England has hit back at criticism that its decisions have contributed to the highest inflation in 40 years. Andrew Bailey said he “rejected” the argument made by a predecessor, in an interview with Sky News, that the Bank of England and other central banks including the Federal Reserve and

The cost of living crisis is causing “anxiety and uncertainty” for millions – but apps to help “feel a bit more in control” amid soaring prices can save you money, a consumer expert has told Sky News. Inflation reached 9% in April – its highest level in 40 years, further pushing up the cost of

Energy companies have been told by the government that “all options are on the table” if they do not reinvest their bumper profits – amid a growing clamour for a windfall tax. Simon Clarke, chief secretary to the Treasury, acknowledged the “extraordinary pressure on family finances” and said imposing such a levy could not be

Europe’s reliance on Russian oil and gas is funding the rape and murder of Ukrainian children, an MP and member of the country’s delegation to the World Economic Forum in Davos has told Sky News. Ivana Kylmpush-Tsintsadze, an MP and former minister, said Western states and companies need to end “business as usual” with Moscow,

The Royal Agricultural University (RAU) is launching a new scholarship scheme to encourage more British students from ethnic minorities to enter the farming sector. The RAU, one of the leading agricultural institutions in the UK, hopes the two undergraduate scholarships will increase diversity and equality in the industry – which is predominately made up of

A senior figure in Donald Trump’s Cabinet is plotting a £700m deal that would see one of Britain’s biggest digital-only banks being listed on the US stock market. Sky News has learnt that a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) set up by Wilbur Ross, who was President Trump’s commerce secretary between 2017 and 2021, is

Hundreds of staple grocery items had shot up in price by more than a fifth over the two years prior to the surge in food inflation caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to an investigation. As households get to grips with a growing cost of living crisis, the consumer group Which? said that shoppers

Britons must brace themselves for a “very unpleasant period”, with “considerable” interest rate hikes now needed to prevent a re-run of the 1970s, former Bank of England governor Mervyn King has warned. Lord King launched a coruscating attack on central banks including the Bank of England itself, saying they shared responsibility for the cost of

National Grid has seen its annual pre-tax profits increase by 107% to £3.4bn. The energy network operator attributed much of the rise to its £7.8bn purchase of Western Power Distribution (WPD), which was recently fined £14.9m for failing to help vulnerable customers. National Grid, which delivers electricity to households and businesses, previously said profits in

British consumer confidence has plunged to its lowest level since records began nearly 50 years ago, a survey has suggested, adding to fears that the economy will soon be hit by a slowdown in consumer spending.  Market research firm GfK said its consumer confidence gauge sunk to a score of -40 in May, down from

Royal Mail has said it will need to rise prices and cut costs in the face of soaring inflation. The company warned that it sees “significant headwinds” from rising costs including wages, energy and fuel. Royal Mail revealed that it aimed to make cost savings of £350m over the course of its current financial year

Britain’s biggest dairy producer has admitted the price of milk will continue to increase due to sky high energy costs that have already risen by 200%. Arla Foods’ chief commercial officer Peter Giortz-Carlson told Sky News that input costs, driven higher by the war in Ukraine, will have to be passed on to customers. His

There is no getting away from the shock of the headline figure here. The consumer price index is the main measure we use to track how fast the prices of the goods and services we tend to buy are rising. It’s far from a perfect measure: it takes a typical “shopping basket” of items based

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has written to the leading petrol retailers “to remind them of their responsibilities” to pass on tax cuts to motorists. The letter, sent to fuel giants on Tuesday, follows claims some retailers hiked profits following the 5p per litre fuel duty cut implemented by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in March to help

Real wages have dropped by 1.2% as regular pay growth fails to keep up with soaring inflation, according to the latest official figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that the fall in regular pay, which excludes bonus payments, intensified when the effects of inflation were included in the three months to March compared

The £4.25bn takeover of Chelsea Football Club has been thrown into fresh doubt amid a renewed impasse between owner Roman Abramovich and Whitehall over the deal’s terms. Sky News understands that government officials have doubts about whether a special licence needed to approve the sale will be issued before a deadline at the end of

The energy price cap, the mechanism that determines gas and electricity bills for 22 million households, could soon be reviewed every three months under plans announced by the industry regulator. Ofgem revealed that it was putting the idea out to consultation amid criticism that the current twice-yearly adjustment arrangement – in April and October –