Business

Brexit and bad planning – along with weather – are to blame for the fruit and vegetable shortage affecting the UK’s supermarkets, Spain’s agriculture minister has said. Major chains Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Morrisons and Asda have imposed limits on the number of certain items customers can buy. Fruits and vegetables increasingly sourced from Morocco and

A further 2,000 pubs are at risk of closure, threatening 25,000 jobs, unless the chancellor comes to the sector’s aid in this month’s budget, according to an industry body. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) cited research by Oxford Economics which forecast 288 million fewer pints would be sold in the next financial year

The job offer couldn’t have come at a better time for Theo.  He had been job hunting for a year, picking up part-time hours in events. He was homeless, crashing on friends’ couches. “I took the first opportunity that came to me because I was like, I just need to get out of this situation,”

Supermarket giant Sainsbury’s has said it plans to close two Argos depots in a move that will impact 1,400 jobs. It is expected to take place over the next three years as part of a wider shake-up of its general merchandise operations across the group that would see its major warehouses cut from five to

UK grocery inflation continued to climb during February to reach a new record high of 17.1%, according to closely-watched industry data. Kantar Worldpanel reported that the increase over the past 12 months meant that families faced a potential £811 annual rise in the cost of their regular shopping basket. It had been hoped that a

The energy regulator has reduced the cap on the amount energy companies can charge customers but bills are still expected to increase. Ofgem has today announced the cap on the amount typical households pay on electricity and gas bills will drop to £3,280 from 1 April. It’s a decrease from the previous cap of £4,279

Britain’s economy could fall behind that of Poland by the end of the decade, the Labour Party will say today. The party’s leader Sir Keir Starmer will use the forecast – which is based on World Bank data – to appeal for voter support in the next general election. Labour’s calculations are based on the

Citymapper, the urban transport app which ranks among Britain’s most prominent consumer technology companies, is in talks to be bought by a multibillion dollar New York-based rival. Sky News has learnt that Citymapper, which launched in 2010, is in advanced discussions about a takeover by Via Transportation. City sources said a deal could be struck

Moonpig will no longer sell cards featuring images of pugs and French bulldogs after campaigners claimed it “normalises their suffering from respiratory ailments”. Animal rights lobby group Peta had raised concerns the major online retailer was “promoting” the “breathing-impaired” dog breeds. In response, Moonpig said it has removed or is in the process of pulling

Members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) have voted to accept offers by train companies in the long-running dispute over pay, job security and conditions, the union has announced. “Given this result, TSSA will notify employers that the ballot for Industrial Action has also been withdrawn,” the union said in a statement. “Accepting the

As Ukrainians mark a year since Russia’s invasion, Ian is joined by Ukraine’s deputy economy minister, and the chief executive of the Ukrainian steelmaker Metinvest – owners of the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol, which was besieged by Russian soldiers last May. He also speaks to the chief executive at Allbright and the chair of

A financial services giant backed by an Abu Dhabi state investment fund is the latest suitor to emerge as a contender to swoop on parts of the stricken London-listed company MJ Hudson. Sky News has learnt that Apex Group, which is based in Bermuda and has around 12,000 employees, plans to table an offer next

The UK’s biggest retailers will next week warn Rishi Sunak that the government’s waste strategy risks forcing prices up for consumers even as continued inflationary pressures exacerbate the cost-of-living crisis. Sky News has obtained the draft of a letter from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) – expected to be sent to the prime minister next

In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Western leaders heralded a sanctions regime that would cripple the country’s war machine. Joe Biden claimed Russia’s economy would be “cut in half”, while Boris Johnson spoke of squeezing it “piece by piece.” A year has passed, but that great promise has been slow to deliver. Please

British tomatoes will likely remain scarce until the end of April or even early May, the UK’s largest grower has warned. It comes after Tesco and Aldi became the latest supermarkets to place limits on some fruit and vegetables customers can buy due to supply shortages. The soaring cost of energy, and fertiliser also derived

Theft by employees has jumped by 19% amid warnings that the rising cost of living is triggering a wave of workplace crime, new data suggests. Almost 6,000 people were caught stealing from their employer in 2022 – up from 5,000 the year before. Incidents range from the petty pilfering of office supplies to theft of

Lloyds Banking Group has revealed a 12% increase in its bonus pool for 2022 despite pre-tax profits remaining flat on the previous year. The bank – Britain’s biggest mortgage lender – revealed earnings of £6.9bn for the 12 months, matching the sum achieved in 2021. The earnings were largely damaged by a £1.5bn provision for

Asda and Morrisons are imposing limits on some of the fruit and vegetables customers can buy due to supply shortages. Asda is temporarily limiting the purchase of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, salad bags, broccoli, cauliflower and raspberries to three of each item per customer. “Like other supermarkets, we are experiencing sourcing challenges on some products

The world’s biggest trial of a four-day working week has been hailed a success – with most of the companies involved saying they would continue offering a shorter week. A total of 61 companies across several sectors in the UK were involved in the pilot, which ran for six months from June last year. Employers

The global payment giants Mastercard and Visa are facing the latest in a string of multibillion pound competition lawsuits with the launch of a potentially vast class action claim on behalf of British companies. Sky News has learnt that Harcus Parker, a London-based commercial litigation law firm, is close to filing what it believes will