Business

Joe Biden has made no secret of his opposition to Boris Johnson’s career-defining flagship policy: Brexit. Mr Biden claims – wrongly, according to the prime minister – that the Good Friday Agreement is threatened by the Internal Market Bill, currently going through the House of Lords. Image: Boris Johnson will be hoping to have a

Nearly 80 business leaders from the north of England are backing a plea to Boris Johnson from the region’s “Red Wall” Tory MPs for a roadmap out of lockdown and a post-Covid economic recovery plan. In a move turning up the heat on the prime minister as England goes into a four-week lockdown, the business

The John Lewis Partnership (JLP) is cutting a further 1,500 jobs through a shake-up of its head office functions to save cash as the coronavirus crisis continues to take a toll on sales. The employee-owned retailer had already shed 1,390 roles in the wake of pandemic disruption this year that saw eight underperforming John Lewis

Global stock markets have rallied sharply as Americans head to the polls – with the likely impact of any result on economic stimulus preoccupying investors. London’s FTSE 100 was 2% higher in early afternoon trading with European markets also ahead, picking up after gains from Wall Street and in Asian trading overnight. There were further

Primark’s inability to trade online during coronavirus lockdowns has prompted a 40% slump in its parent firm’s annual profits. Associated British Foods (ABF) said enforced closures of the discount fashion retailer’s stores lost it an estimated £2bn in revenue and outweighed increases to its bottom line from its sugar, grocery, agriculture and ingredients divisions in

The announcement of a second lockdown will see the government extend its aid to afflicted households and businesses. There will be a continuation of the furlough scheme as well as similar help for the self-employed, plus further payment holidays for mortgages and other loans. Live coronavirus updates from the UK and around the world Please

Britain’s biggest airport is preparing to launch a legal challenge to the Treasury’s move to end VAT rebates for tourists, arguing that it will intensify the crisis afflicting the coronavirus-battered retail industry. Sky News has learnt that Heathrow Airport is leading plans for a judicial review of the government’s decision, which retailers say will trigger

Ministers will this week move to seize control of the controversial contract responsible for manufacturing Britain’s nuclear warheads in a move that insiders said reflected the influence of Dominic Cummings, the prime minister’s top adviser. Sky News has learnt that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) will announce in the coming days that it intends to

Transport for London (TfL) has secured an estimated £1.8bn bailout from the government to help the service through the coronavirus pandemic. The capital’s transport body said the agreement will enable it to continue operating until the end of March 2021. The exact amount of money involved will be subject to passenger revenue in the coming

Furlough payments will be extended at 80% for the duration of England’s second lockdown, the prime minister has confirmed. After announcing the strictest blanket coronavirus measures since March, Boris Johnson said the furlough scheme would continue through November until 2 December. He said the end of the scheme, in which employees will receive four-fifths of

The petrol stations giant founded by two of Britain’s most successful sibling-entrepreneurs is about to take a big step towards addressing doubts about its corporate governance by naming a slate of independent board members. Sky News has learnt that John Carey, a former BP executive, is in advanced talks to join EG Group as a

Britain’s vast fund management sector is holding its breath for the outcome of a key vote on Friday amid fears that thousands of industry jobs could be forcibly relocated to the EU after the end of the Brexit transition period. Sky News has learnt that the Investment Association (IA) has decided to abstain on a

Pizza Express has said it is cutting around 1,300 jobs across the UK – on top of 1,100 already announced this summer. The restaurant chain said recent trading had worsened in the face of tightened COVID-19 restrictions. Managing director Zoe Bowley said: “Our aim throughout these extremely challenging times has been to keep our team

Thousands of jobseekers are being scammed in a surge of fake job adverts, as fraudsters exploit the rise in unemployment. Reports of fake listings soared by 70 percent between March and October, according to SAFERjobs, an organisation that tracks employment fraud. Since the pandemic began, it has received 750 reports of job scams, which aim

Lloyds Banking Group has posted a better-than-expected third quarter profit as it reaps the benefits of a boom in demand for mortgages. The bank reported a pre-tax profit of just over £1bn for the period between July and September – almost twice what was expected by analysts. Britain’s biggest domestic lender received its biggest quarterly

The FTSE 100 has fallen to its lowest level in six months as fears grow that the UK may need a national lockdown to limit the spread of COVID-19. The index fell 1.9% in the first few hours of Wednesday trading, while the domestically-focused FTSE 250 lost 1.5% to hit its lowest point in more