Business

Retail sales fell for only the second time this year as wet weather led to a surprise 1.2% drop, official figures show. It’s a steep fall from growth of 0.6% in June, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). A contraction of 0.5% had been forecast. Growth in how much people were

Major banks face being fined if they fail to provide free access to cash withdrawals within three miles of consumers and businesses under new rules to be set out by ministers. Sky News has learnt that the Treasury is to publish guidelines within days setting out expectations for banks’ future provision of cash deposit and

Nearly three out of five drivers (58%) want to see cameras that detect illegally loud vehicles rolled out across the UK, according to a new survey. The poll, commissioned by the RAC found that 22% of the 1,424 motorists asked were against the idea, with a similar proportion (20%) unsure. The Department for Transport (DfT)

Jamie Oliver and his wife Jools have paid themselves £6.8m in dividends after his firms’ total profits rose by almost a fifth. The Jamie Oliver Group said earnings were boosted by the celebrity chef’s TV series Jamie’s £1 Wonders, which Channel 4 launched in response to the cost of living crisis. An average of 1.4

A man who famously made a fortune by predicting the collapse of the US housing market in 2008 now appears to be suggesting that two major stock markets will tumble in value. Michael Burry, the hedge fund boss featured in The Big Short, in which he was played by Christian Bale, held negative options on

Any rise in rail fares in England next year will be below the Retail Prices Index (RPI) rate of inflation, the government has promised. The RPI figure – which is a measure for inflation – for July is due to be released on Wednesday and usually helps determine the cost of train tickets for the

Grocery price inflation has eased for the fifth month in a row – as the cost of some staples come down. Closely watched data from Kantar Worldpanel, which tracks supermarket sales and bills, found that while the expense of a food shop is still higher than last year, the pace of price rises has been

Bidders for the ailing retailer Wilko have been given until Wednesday to table offers for the company after its collapse into insolvency last week. Sky News has learnt that PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which was appointed as administrator on Thursday, is seeking offers by the middle of this week as Wilko faces running out of cash. A

Mark Zuckerberg has accused Elon Musk of not being serious about the pair having a cage fight – and says it is time to “move on” from the saga. The Facebook co-founder said his tech billionaire counterpart did not appear to want to go through with the highly-anticipated clash after failing to even agree on

Pubs in England and Wales will be allowed to continue serving takeaway pints after the government decided to keep COVID licensing rules. Pubs were given permission to serve customers through hatches when they were forced to close during lockdown restrictions in 2020. Those rules were due to expire at the end of next month, but

The owner of the Daily Mail is in talks with prospective backers of a bid for The Daily Telegraph  - a deal that would underline its proprietor’s status among the most powerful figures in British media. Sky News has learned that Lord Rothermere, chairman of both DMGT and its consumer division dmg media, is courting

A British-based company which boasted that it would be a global pioneer in electric vehicle manufacturing is working with advisers to prepare for possible insolvency. Sky News has learnt that Arrival, which is listed on New York’s Nasdaq stock exchange, has drafted in Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) to advise it as it tries to salvage

The Premier League is targeting a financial agreement with its lower league counterparts within weeks as English football seeks to head off political criticism over the distribution of money through the sport. Sky News has learnt that the Premier League told its 20 ‘shareholders’ on Thursday that it now hoped to reach a swift conclusion

GDP exceeded modest expectations in June and for the second quarter as a whole, but perhaps the best that can be said of the economy at the halfway point in the year is that things could be worse. That was certainly the chancellor’s response to monthly growth of 0.5% and a three-month figure of 0.2%.

The UK economy grew slightly in the three months to June, according to official estimates. Gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 0.2% in the second quarter of the year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. In June alone it rose 0.5%. It comes after a rate of 0.1% was recorded in the first quarter,

Wilko has gone into administration – putting 12,000 jobs at risk. It comes after Sky News revealed earlier on Thursday the retail chain was only hours away from insolvency. In a statement, CEO Mark Jackson said: “We’ve all fought hard to keep this incredible business intact but must concede that time has run out and

Hopes of a rescue deal for Wilko were fading on Thursday morning as it emerged that the ailing homewares retailer was heading into insolvency within hours. Sky News has learnt that Wilko’s board is expected to appoint PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as administrator later today after talks with a number of potential rescuers stalled. The move would

Unite has warned holidaymakers they face “severe disruption” at Gatwick Airport this month after ground staff announced a new series of strikes. More than 230 workers, who work for two contracted firms at the London site, will walk out on multiple dates later in August because of a dispute over pay, the union said. Unite

Six English water companies are facing legal action over allegations they under-reported pollution discharges and overcharged customers as a result. Professor Carolyn Roberts, an environmental and water consultant, said she is planning to bring a string of cases to the Competition Appeal Tribunal in a bid to secure more than £800m compensation on behalf of

A specialist investor in struggling retailers is exploring a bid to rescue Wilko, the ailing family-owned chain which is teetering on the brink of collapse. Sky News has learnt that Gordon Brothers, which has backed British high street names including Laura Ashley, is in talks with Wilko’s advisers about structuring a potential deal. Sources said