Business

The company that owns Britain’s Vauxhall car plants met the UK government’s electric vehicle (EV) sales mandate last year despite publicly criticising the target and announcing the closure of its Luton factory. Stellantis, which also owns the Peugeot, Citroen and Fiat brands, as well as a number of others, was the UK’s best-selling electric van

Mick Lynch, one of the UK’s most influential union leaders in recent history, has announced he is retiring. Mr Lynch is stepping down from the helm of the RMT (Rail Maritime and Transport Workers) union aged 63. He served as general secretary since 2021. Under his leadership, the union waged years of strike action over

Bim Afolami, the former City minister, is to return to HSBC – the bank he worked for before he embarked on a career in politics – in a boardroom role. Sky News has learnt that Mr Afolami, who lost his Hitchin seat at last year’s general election, is to become a non-executive director of the

The UK’s power grid operator has issued a call for electricity providers to bolster output this evening to avert the risk of blackouts. The National Energy System Operator (NESO) issued an alert “to encourage market actions to increase system margins”. It was the first such precautionary measure of the winter to date and issued at

Rachel Reeves is on course to tighten Whitehall public service budgets further than expected in the spending review because of the worsening economic outlook, Sky News can reveal. This will pit the chancellor against some ministers who already claim she is sacrificing the manifesto promises they are expected to deliver – which will no longer

There is mounting evidence that consumers are facing hikes to bills on many fronts after Next became the latest to warn of price rises ahead. The homewares to fashion retailer said it was to implement an “unwelcome” 1% rise to prices this year to help it cover an anticipated £67m rise to its wage bills.

Here’s a quiz question: how much would you say the supply of non-Russian gas to Europe (including the UK) has gone up since the invasion of Ukraine? It’s a pretty important question. After all, in the years before the invasion, Russian gas (coming in mostly through pipelines but, to a lesser extent, also on liquefied

ClearScore, the credit information provider which came close to being swallowed up by FTSE-100 giant Experian seven years ago, is reaffirming its independent growth prospects with the purchase of a smaller UK fintech. Sky News understands that ClearScore will announce on Tuesday that it has bought Aro Finance, a Manchester-based credit marketplace which counts Argos

A television network majority-owned by David Montgomery, the media entrepreneur, is to snap up the licence to operate a London-focused TV station from Lord Lebedev, owner of the capital’s weekly Standard newspaper. Sky News has learnt that Local TV Ltd, which was acquired by Mr Montgomery in 2017, is close to announcing a deal to

The cap on bus fares has risen to £3 in much of England today as new government policy took effect. It means the maximum a bus passenger will pay for a single journey is now £3, £1 more expensive than before, as the government increased the cap from 1 January. It’s the latest in a

Outside it is the bleak midwinter. We are smack bang in the middle of some of the country’s best agricultural land. But inside the cavernous warehouse where we’ve come, you wouldn’t have a clue about any of that: there is no daylight; it feels like it could be any time of the day, any season

The owners of Shawbrook Group, the mid-sized British lender, are drawing up plans to kickstart London’s moribund listings arena with a stock market flotation, valuing it at more than £2bn. Sky News has learnt that BC Partners and Pollen Street Capital, which took Shawbrook private in 2017, are close to appointing Goldman Sachs to oversee

Donald Trump has said the UK is making “a very big mistake” in its fossil fuel policy – and should “get rid of windmills”. In a post on Friday on his social media platform, Truth Social, Mr Trump shared news from November of a US oil producer pulling out of the North Sea, a major

Tide, the business banking services platform, has hired advisers to orchestrate a fresh share sale as it pursues rapid growth in the UK and overseas. Sky News understands that Tide has been holding talks with investment banks including Morgan Stanley about launching a primary fundraising worth in excess of £50m in the coming months. The

An outsourcing group backed by Lord Hammond, the former chancellor of the exchequer, is among the suitors circling Telent, a major provider of digital infrastructure services. Sky News has learnt that Amey, which endured years of financial difficulties before being taken over by two private equity firms in 2022, has tabled an indicative offer to

The typical household could see major bills rise by almost £270 by April, Sky News analysis suggests. The increase in costs for energy, water and council tax would outstrip inflation and add to pressure on family budgets. The first impact will be felt from New Year’s Day, with the domestic energy price cap rising for