Business & Economy

Published: 22 October 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Lucy Powell, the Labour MP widely tipped to become the party’s deputy leader this week, intervened on behalf of a property development company founded by a Labour donor, urging ministers to reconsider legal proceedings that could have cost the firm millions of pounds, the Guardian has revealed. The MP for Manchester Central wrote to Angela Rayner, then serving...

Published: 22 October 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. A significant pay boost is on the horizon for nearly half a million low-paid workers in the UK as the real living wage is set to increase by almost 7% next April. Employers across the country, including major corporations and local councils, will voluntarily raise wages to £13.45 an hour outside London, while workers in the capital can...

Published: 22 October 2025. The English Chronicle Desk.  The English Chronicle Online. Eurostar has unveiled ambitious plans to introduce double-decker trains through the Channel Tunnel, a move aimed at addressing increasing demand for international rail travel from the United Kingdom to continental Europe. The announcement follows the signing of a €2bn (£1.7bn) contract with French train manufacturer Alstom for the delivery of between 30 and 50 new trains, with operations...

Published: 22 October 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The United Kingdom is set to receive its latest inflation figures on Wednesday morning, as the economic landscape continues to challenge policymakers, businesses, and households alike. Economists widely anticipate that inflation will rise to around 4 per cent, marking a persistent period of higher-than-targeted price increases that continues to shape public debate and financial decision-making across the country....

Published: 21 October 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Pizza Hut is set to close dozens of its UK restaurants after its owner, DC London Pie, collapsed into administration, marking another major blow to the country’s struggling casual dining sector. As many as 68 Pizza Hut restaurants are at risk of closure following the company’s financial collapse, which has left hundreds of jobs hanging in the balance....

Published: 20 October 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Onl British travellers could soon find their holidays becoming more expensive if Chancellor Rachel Reeves follows through with tax hikes in her upcoming Budget, according to warnings from the heads of the UK’s two biggest travel firms. Neil Swanson, managing director of Tui UK, cautioned that “holidays will become too costly for some people if the Chancellor does this,”...

Published: 20 October 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. B&M, one of Britain’s largest discount retailers, has announced the departure of its finance chief following the discovery of a £7 million accounting error, prompting the company to issue its second profit warning within just two weeks. The retailer, known for selling a wide array of products including DIY tools, electrical items, garden supplies, toys, pet food, and...

Published: 20 October 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The Department for Education (DfE) has unveiled plans for a new V-Level qualification, marking a major reform of post-16 education for students aged 16 to 19. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson highlighted that vocational education has long been treated as secondary, and this new pathway aims to give it equal prominence alongside A-levels and T-levels. V-Levels are designed to...

Published: 19 October 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The UK government has unveiled an ambitious national plan aimed at creating 400,000 jobs in the green energy sector over the next five years, with a focus on training workers from fossil fuel industries, school leavers, veterans, ex-offenders, and the unemployed. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband revealed the scheme, which seeks to double the workforce in clean energy industries...

Published: 17 October 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Tensions between the United Kingdom and China have intensified after Beijing expressed strong criticism over further delays to a planning decision on its proposed “mega embassy” in London. The diplomatic row adds complexity to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s efforts to reset relations with Beijing amid concerns over espionage and national security. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed its...