Business

Employees are more fearful and distrustful of artificial intelligence in the workplace than their employers – as businesses see cost savings as the main benefit of the technology. A UK-wide survey of attitudes and preparedness for AI, by recruitment giant Hays, found close to a third of employees say they don’t have the right skills

The online party goods supplier founded by the Princess of Wales’s parents has been sold after it failed to avoid collapsing into administration. Sky News has learnt that Party Pieces Holdings, which was launched by Carole and Michael Middleton in 1987, was bought on Thursday by James Sinclair, an entrepreneur. Sources said the sale had

It is hardly surprising that, confronted with the highest levels of food and drink inflation since 1977, some people have concluded that supermarkets are “profiteering”. Those people, apparently, include Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, and the Unite union’s general secretary Sharon Graham. Both have used that incendiary term over the past week, with Sir

Britain has now missed its window of opportunity to build a battery industry, and the government, including Rishi Sunak, is largely to blame, the head of collapsed cell manufacturer Britishvolt has told Sky News. The company was feted as the jewel in Britain’s manufacturing crown – the first home-grown gigafactory, co-financed by the government and

Almost 11 million people are battling to keep up with bills and credit repayments, new figures have revealed. Around one in five adults have found financial commitments to be a heavy burden from the start of the year, according to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The number of people struggling soared from 7.8 million last

The owner of the largest pipeline system in the North Sea has warned the future of domestic production is in doubt due to the severity of UK windfall taxes. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is Britain’s richest man and whose Ineos business owns the Forties oil and gas pipeline, said the tax rate applied to North

One in five taxpayers will be paying higher-rate income tax by 2027, in what the Institute for Fiscal Studies describes as a “seismic shift” since the 1990s. Higher rates of tax were previously thought of as being for the most wealthy, but the six-year freeze in income tax allowances and thresholds that began last month

Supermarket fuel prices were roughly 5p more expensive per litre in 2022 than pre-pandemic levels, an investigation by the competition watchdog has found. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has said that factors beyond the invasion of Ukraine have impacted the price customers are paying at the pumps and weak competition has helped drive increases.

Britain is at risk of forgetting “how to do things for ourselves”, the home secretary will warn, as she increases pressure on Rishi Sunak to cut net migration. The home secretary will use a speech at the National Conservatism Conference today to call for the Conservatives to renew their 2019 manifesto commitment, which promised “fewer

A retirement savings platform which previously secured backing from Legal & General will this week unveil a $95m (£76m) fundraising led by a New York-based private equity investor. Sky News has learnt that Smart, which was founded in 2014, will announce the capital raise on Monday. It will be led by Aquiline Capital Partners, which

Lord Tyrie, the former chair of the competition watchdog and architect of many of Britain’s post-financial crisis banking reforms, is among the candidates vying to head Ofgem, the under-fire energy regulator. Sky News has learnt that Lord Tyrie has put his name forward to replace Professor Martin Cave, who is due to step down as

Striking rail workers have vowed to continue walking out until the government “unblocks” their pay dispute on the second day in a row of cancellations. There are 14 rail operators affected by strike action by the RMT union on Saturday – the day of the Eurovision finale in Liverpool – after a separate walkout by

Virgin Orbit has pushed back the deadline for rescue bids as the commercial satellite venture founded by Sir Richard Branson scrambles to avert bankruptcy. Sky News has learnt that the company and its advisers have told would-be buyers of the company that they must now submit final offers by May 19, several days later than

The Royal Mail chief executive is to step down, parent firm International Distributions Services has announced. As first reported by Sky News, Simon Thompson had been in talks to leave the company after his credibility was challenged by MPs who recalled him for questioning at the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) committee. The company

Mike Lynch, the British software tycoon, has been extradited to the US weeks after losing a long-running legal battle against the move. Sky News understands that Mr Lynch arrived in San Francisco on a United Airlines flight on Thursday lunchtime, paving the way for the former Autonomy chief to be tried on criminal charges. One

The UK economy grew slightly in the first three months of the year, according to official figures – but contracted in March. Growth of 0.1% was recorded by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) in the three months up to March, the lowest amount possible to still be classed as growth as IT and construction

Almost two thirds of young women have experienced sexual harassment, bullying or verbal abuse at work, according to a new poll. Some 62% of those in the 25-to-34 age group reported being pestered or persecuted on work premises – as well as during virtual meetings, over email and on the phone, the survey by the TUC found.

Prices have increased at the world’s largest holiday company and are now “notably higher” than just three months ago. The average selling price at Tui has increased 5%, which the company has described as “notably higher” than the 2% price increase reported in the first three months of its 2023 financial year. In its half-year

Ryanair has ended a price feud with Boeing to confirm a deal for 300 new planes which, the no frills carrier said, was a record US order by an Irish company. Europe’s largest airline by passenger numbers said it was buying 150 737 MAX 10 aircraft with an option for a further 150 for delivery

One of Britain’s biggest companies has warned that the UK risks squandering its lead in one of the most important green technologies because of the government’s reluctance to support its companies. Johnson Matthey, the chemicals and metals company which is currently responsible for most of the world’s catalytic convertors, told Sky News it has intellectual

The chief executive of Royal Mail is in advanced talks to leave the company just weeks after his credibility was questioned by MPs investigating the performance of the former state-owned monopoly. Sky News has learnt that the board of International Distributions Services (IDS), Royal Mail’s London-listed owner, could announce as soon as this week that

The first cannabis company to stage an IPO on the London Stock Exchange will this week install a City veteran as its chairman and unveil a multimillion pound fundraising. The first cannabis company to stage an IPO on the London Stock Exchange will this week install a City veteran as its chairman and unveil a

The billionaire petrochemicals tycoon Sir Jim Ratcliffe is proposing a full buyout of Manchester United Football Club after three years if he succeeds with a £5bn offer to take control of the Old Trafford outfit. Sky News has learnt that the Ineos billionaire’s takeover bid includes put-and-call arrangements which would become exercisable in 2026, and

Adidas has reported a drop in sales but better than expected profits in the wake of its high-profile split from shamed rapper and fashion designer Kanye West. The sportwear company said the loss of his Yeezy trainers brand was “hurting” the business but it pointed to some of the pain being eliminated by a recovery

The crisis-hit CBI has drafted in a business ethics consultancy to aid a review of its culture four weeks before a meeting of its membership that will determine its future. Sky News can reveal that Rain Newton-Smith, the new CBI director-general, has signed off the appointment of Principia following an exodus of corporate backers two

BP is exploring a sale of two of the companies owned by its early-stage ventures arm in a move which could raise tens of millions of pounds. Sky News has learnt that the FTSE 100 company’s Launchpad division has begun contacting prospective buyers of Lytt and Onyx Insight in recent weeks. Lytt transforms large amounts

One of Britain’s leading independent precision engineering firms has been saved from collapse after a pre-pack administration deal led by its previous owner. Sky News understands Nasmyth Group is to remain under the control of Rcapital, the specialist turnaround investor, following a transaction that is expected to salvage more than 450 jobs. City sources said

The parent company of British Airways has raised its forecast for annual operating profits due to stronger bookings, saying it expects capacity to be at 97% of the 2019 pre-pandemic year. International Airlines Group (IAG), which also counts Iberia and Aer Lingus among its stable of brands, said its focus on restoring earnings on key

Members of the biggest rail workers union have voted to renew their mandate to strike during the next six months in the long-running dispute over pay and conditions. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said staff across 14 train companies overwhelming backed taking more industrial action. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the result

Shell has revealed it is handing a further $6bn (£4.7bn) to shareholders after its latest quarterly profits beat its own forecasts. The oil and gas major reported net profits of $9.6bn (£7.6bn) for the first three months of the year. The figure was slightly down on the sum achieved in the final quarter of 2022

The Federal Reserve – the US central bank, known as the Fed – has increased interest rates for the tenth time in a row despite the continued worst banking turmoil since the global financial crash. The rate has been increased by 0.25 percentage points again in the Fed’s continued effort to bring down inflation, which

The US central bank is widely expected on Wednesday to raise its main interest rate for the tenth consecutive month in the continuing battle against inflation, despite worries over the impact on bank balance sheets. While higher interest rates are generally good news for bank earnings, the Federal Reserve’s aggressive pace of rate rises in

The UK financial watchdog will announce plans to change the rules on bringing companies into public ownership after a series of high profile businesses snubbed the London Stock Exchange. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will on Wednesday publish proposed changes to rules on listing companies on the London Stock Exchange. It hopes to make regulation