Business

Travellers have been told to brace for more Christmas chaos after road workers announced 12 days of strikes to coincide with rail walkouts. National Highways employees, who operate and maintain roads in England, will take part in a series of staggered strikes from 16 December to 7 January, the PCS union said. “We know our

Ever since April, when HSBC’s biggest single shareholder, Ping An, began lobbying the lender to spin off its Asian operations into a separate business, there has been speculation over what has motivated the Chinese insurer to do so. Some, including a number of analysts covering the banking sector, have speculated that Ping An, which owns

Collapsed fashion retailer Joules will live on after Next agreed a £34m cash rescue deal that preserves most of its stores and jobs. Under the deal Next will pick up 100 of its 132 stores and only 133 of 1,600 staff will lose their jobs. Nineteen shops are to immediately close in: CarmarthenCheltenhamChichesterEdinburghExeterGatesheadLyme RegisNewburyNorthcote Road,

The total value of fraud in three COVID-19 schemes totalled £4.5bn, of which the taxpayer is only going to get £1.1bn back, the head of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has told MPs. Speaking at the Treasury Committee on Wednesday, HMRC chief executive Jim Harra said the £4.5bn was lost to fraud in the furlough,

HSBC has announced plans to shut a further 114 UK branches, or more than a quarter of its surviving sites. The UK-based but mainly Asia-focused bank said they would begin to shut from April next year. The decision, as the wider banking sector has consistently claimed over many years, is the result of the surge

More energy suppliers could go bust this winter potentially taking government payments intended for customers with them, the chief executive of British Gas owner Centrica has warned. Chris O’Shea told Sky News that the UK energy market, regulated by Ofgem, offers “wealthy individuals” behind some retail suppliers a “free bet” to speculate, with other bill

It was as long ago as 1982, back in the pre-privatisation days of the Central Electricity Generating Board, that the idea of building a new nuclear power plant in Suffolk – Sizewell C – was first mooted. At that time, construction had yet to begin on the neighbouring Sizewell B, which for now remains the

The union representing BT workers has reached an agreement with the company to permanently increase pay. The Communication Workers Union (CWU), whose executive negotiated the deal, is urging its BT members to accept the proposal, which is now being put before members to vote on. BT workers, including those taking 999 calls, engineers and call

An aircraft engine has successfully been powered with hydrogen fuel in what is thought to be a world first, Rolls-Royce has said, in an attempt to reduce the enormous carbon footprint of flying. The aerospace manufacturer and partner easyJet, the low-cost airline, say the ground test marks a “major step” towards proving that hydrogen could

Qatar is reviewing its investments in London after the organisation running the capital’s transport system banned the Middle East country’s advertisements on the Tube, buses and taxis. A source with knowledge of the review has told Sky News the decision by Transport for London (TfL) is “another blatant example of double standards and virtue signalling

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has received a £400m private equity approach that would see it relinquish majority ownership of The Hundred while raising funds to inject into the sport’s cash-strapped counties. Sky News has learnt that the governing body has in recent weeks been handed an offer from Bridgepoint Group, the London-listed

An extra £118m, at least, will be spent this year on temporary accommodation, such as hotels and B&Bs, by councils, a Sky News investigation has found. If trends continue, local authorities in England will spend nearly a quarter more (24%) this financial year than pre-COVID-19. Outside London, expenditure is on track to increase by 55%.

A pubs industry veteran is drinking to his biggest shareholder after it injected new funding into his business amid talks with lenders. Sky News understands that Oaktree Capital has in recent weeks committed millions of pounds to RedCat Pub Company, set up by Rooney Anand, which trades from roughly 120 venues. An industry source said

Primark has announced a £140m investment leading to the opening of four new shops and the creation of at least 850 jobs. The retailer said it plans to make the investment over the next two years in its UK operations. As part of that investment, the company said “at least” four news shops will be

The gas and electricity watchdog has announced a series of new rules for energy companies, including requiring firms to hold more capital, similar to the regulations placed on the banks in the wake of the financial crisis. Ofgem has proposed the regulations to protect customers and make firms more resilient after a number of electricity

UK car production has returned to growth, although it is still well below pre-pandemic levels, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says. Some 69,524 cars were built in October, up 7.4% on the same month a year ago. September had seen a fall in numbers, after four consecutive months of growth, illustrating how supply

The UK is facing a wave of strikes this winter, with at least one walkout a day ahead of Christmas, as workers from different industries seek better pay. From transport to the NHS, education to delivery drivers, tens of thousands of people from various industries are expected to take industrial action as recession grips the

A pound could buy $1.21 on Thursday morning, the highest amount since mid-August, making imports cheaper for UK companies and consumers. The 20 cents rise in sterling buying power from an all-time low in the days following the September mini-budget and the associated market upset, is due to dollar weakness rather than pound strength. The

Royal Mail workers are beginning a 48-hour strike that the retail sector warns could cripple the Black Friday discount shopping season. The strike action is being taken nationwide by 115,000 staff who are represented by the Communication Workers Union (CWU). It is the latest stoppage in a long-running, and increasingly bitter, dispute over pay and

Pay growth has only kept up with inflation in one industry, official figures show. According to data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), regular wages – wages excluding bonuses – have only risen as fast as prices in the professional and scientific industry. Jobs in the sector include legal services, management, engineering and scientific