Business

A senior industry figure has called on the Government to take robust retaliatory action against the European Union’s new trade restrictions on British steel, warning that they could devastate the UK’s manufacturing base. Simon Boyd, managing director of Dorset-based structural steel company REIDsteel, urged ministers to impose reciprocal tariffs to protect UK producers, manufacturers and supply chains after Brussels announced …

Google may be required to overhaul the way its search engine operates in the UK after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) confirmed it has granted the tech giant “strategic market status” (SMS) under the country’s new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA). The landmark decision, announced on Friday, gives the CMA sweeping new powers to impose legally binding …

The UK risks losing ground in the global race to harness artificial intelligence, with small businesses in particular falling behind their American counterparts, according to Debbie Weinstein, President of Google Europe. Weinstein, who previously led Google’s UK and Ireland operations, said that while Britain remains an innovation hub, its small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are slower to adopt AI — …

Royal Mail and TikTok Shop have announced a new partnership aimed at powering the next wave of growth for British small businesses and online sellers. The collaboration, effective 9 October 2025, will see Royal Mail become TikTok Shop’s primary UK delivery partner, connecting one of Britain’s most trusted logistics networks with one of the world’s fastest-growing digital commerce platforms. The …

Jack Fertility, an Oxford-based men’s healthtech startup, has raised more than £500,000 in pre-seed funding to launch Snip Check, the UK’s first home-to-lab postal vasectomy test kit, and accelerate development of its broader range of male reproductive health solutions. The round was led by Fuel Ventures, with participation from Microsoft angels, Alma Angels, The Beam Network, Moonstone Venture Capital, FemTech …

The Royal Borough of Greenwich has secured £5.8 million in government funding to help residents who face barriers to employment find and sustain meaningful work. The funding will support the launch of Connect to Work, a new voluntary programme designed to provide up to 12 months of tailored, one-to-one vocational support for people who are unemployed or at risk of …

Pub landlords and hospitality chiefs have dismissed Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to allow pubs to stay open later, branding the idea “a complete waste of time” amid warnings that extended trading hours will only increase costs and staffing pressures. The Prime Minister unveiled the proposal on Wednesday as part of a fast-track review of licensing laws, aimed at boosting footfall …

The LDC Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders 2025 has unveiled its new cohort of the UK’s most dynamic and visionary entrepreneurs, marking the eighth year of the national awards programme that celebrates the country’s growth champions. Created by LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group, in partnership with The Times, the programme recognises the founders and chief …

Pete Mills, founder and chief executive of Crysp Ltd, has been named a ‘One to Watch’ in the prestigious LDC Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders 2025, following a year of exceptional growth and innovation for the Bradford-based technology firm. The annual list, compiled by LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group, in partnership with The Times, celebrates …

The government has announced up to £50 million in new funding to accelerate research into mental health treatments and technologies, marking one of the largest single public investments in the field. Unveiled to coincide with World Mental Health Day, the initiative aims to put people with lived experience of mental health problems “at the heart” of scientific innovation — shaping …