Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, detailed the onset of the economic emergency facing the UK at last week’s spending review. This comes at a time when demand for the government-backed CBILS loans is set to soar by UK businesses as their Bounce Back Loans dwindle and cash flow dries…

Yorkshire-based plastic recycling firm, Bright Green Plastics, has teamed-up with University of Liverpool, University of Manchester and Unilever to advance technology in the use of post-consumer recycled (PCR) resin. The £965k project, led by University of Liverpool, is aiming to make the plastic packaging used in products such as shampoo…

The average time it took large businesses to pay supplier invoices lengthened by two days in Q3 in a sign that the COVID-19 cash crisis is beginning to bite, new analysis from accountancy and business advisory firm BDO has shown. BDO’s quarterly Payment Performance Tracker, which analyses the payment practices of…

Over four-fifths (85%*) of residents in the North West have a greater appreciation for staff working in local businesses as a result of the pandemic. The latest data from Tyl by NatWest in partnership with YouGov revealed that with many UK small businesses forced to firstly shut up shop and then…

With winter fast approaching water companies in England and Wales are encouraging customers to get in touch if they need support with their bills or advice to prepare for the colder weather ahead. The companies are continuing to help customers who are struggling to pay their bills as a result of…

With Rishi Sunak poised to announce his spending review Dr Maria Rana, finance and economy expert from the University of Salford Business School, looks at the challenges facing the Chancellor. Dr Rana said: “Despite the bounce back of the UK’s economy over the summer, the economy is still projected to shrink…

Graduates interested in careers in management, engineering, catchment management and digital services are being targeted by United Utilities which has announced that its graduate scheme is now open for new applications. The application window is open until 13 December 2020 and this year the number of available roles on offer has…

The TUC has called on the government to urgently rethink its decision to axe the Union Learning Fund (ULF). The call comes as a new independent report finds that for every £1 spent on union- supported learning and training, the economy gets £12.87 back. The study – carried out independently…

Independent Business Network group has called on the Government to adopt a radical seven-point plan to drive Britain’s post-Brexit, post-pandemic trade and industrial growth. It includes scrapping corporation tax, improving the Pound’s competitiveness, and increasing funding for High Growth SMEs. The organisation’s blueprint for trade and industrial growth comes in…

With lockdown restrictions across the UK affecting brick and mortar retail outlets, Black Friday in 2020 is set to be very different. Instead of chaotic scenes of shoppers elbowing each other out of the way for the best deal, we’ll instead see online shopping become the first port of call…

More young workers were made redundant during summer 2020 than in all of 2019, according to new TUC analysis. The analysis shows that 59,000 workers aged 16 to 24 lost their jobs in July to September this year, compared to 56,000 across all of 2019. Young people have been the hardest…

Businesses mustn’t lose sight of efforts to tackle the gender pay gap, as COVID-19 casts a shadow over the most recent ‘Equal Pay Day’ data, argue lawyers at national law firm Weightmans. 2020’s Equal Pay Day – a day identified by the Fawcett Society as the point in the year when…

Giacom, the channel-only cloud services provider, today announced that it is being acquired by channel-only IT, communications and cloud platform business Digital Wholesale Solutions (DWS). Giacom’s Cloud Market platform, the UK’s largest independent cloud portal, is all about making life easier for IT businesses who look after the IT needs…

Marshalls, the specialist landscaping products business, has repaid the £9.4m it received from the furlough scheme back to the government. This is as a result of an improved outlook and stronger trading positon than expected. Martyn Coffey, Chief Executive of Marshalls plc, said: “At Marshalls we aim to do the right things,…

Michael Gregory, former co-owner and director of Freshfield, has joined Limitless PR as a director. The appointment sees him join the Blackburn-based PR agency’s board alongside existing directors Greg Wilson and Richard Slater. Limitless PR has grown rapidly since its launch in 2015 working for clients including Warrington and Halton Teaching…

Interactive investor's Chief Executive, Richard Wilson, comments on the announcement from the FCA that it is dropping its work on investment platform exit fees. Richard Wilson, said: “We are saddened to see this news snuck out on the afternoon of Friday 13th. Exit fees are a recipe for rip offs and…

Chemical companies across the UK are battling through the pandemic and the threat of a Brexit no deal. In the latest quarterly survey of the Chemical Industries Association, businesses saw a modest expansion with the sales diffusion index reaching 55.4 and export growth to non-EU countries registering 56.5 (any figure…