Business & Economy

Published: 15 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. UK wage growth has slowed to 3.9% as the labour market shows further signs of losing momentum, adding to a difficult set of choices for the Bank of England as it prepares for a closely watched interest rate decision. Official figures show that average total earnings, including bonuses, increased by 3.9% in the three months to July, down...

Published: 15 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The North Sea oil and gas industry is urging the Labour government to bring forward the replacement of its windfall tax on fossil fuel companies, arguing that an earlier change could unlock billions of pounds in investment, protect industrial jobs and strengthen Britain’s energy security. Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), the trade body representing the sector, wants the existing...

Published: 15 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Fashion industry leaders, manufacturers and public figures are urging the UK government to ensure that uniforms for NHS workers and the armed forces are made domestically, arguing that public procurement could play a major role in protecting British manufacturing, supporting jobs and strengthening supply chains. The campaign, led by the thinktank Fashion Roundtable, comes as the UK fashion...

Published: 15 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Parents and carers across the UK are cutting back on school uniform spending as household budgets remain under pressure, with families increasingly turning to promotions and second-hand clothing to manage the cost of sending children back to school. Average spending on school uniform fell to £54.53 in the four weeks to 6 September, down 12.5% from £62.29 during...

Published: 15 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The UK government must take seriously the growing warnings from artificial intelligence experts while making the most of the technology’s potential to transform public services, strengthen businesses and accelerate scientific progress, first secretary Louise Haigh is expected to tell trade union leaders. Speaking at the Trades Union Congress conference, Haigh will argue that artificial intelligence could deliver major...

Published: 15 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Millions of pensioners across the UK are on course for another significant increase in their state pension after official wage figures indicated that payments could rise by 3.9% next April under the government’s triple-lock system. The latest earnings data show that total pay increased by 3.9% over the year, making wage growth the leading candidate for determining next...

Published: 15 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. For more than a decade, some of the world's most prominent scientists, technology executives and artificial intelligence researchers have warned that increasingly powerful AI could create consequences beyond human control. From Stephen Hawking's early concerns about machines eventually surpassing humanity to recent warnings from researchers inside leading AI companies, the message has repeatedly been stark: unchecked development could...

Published: 15 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has warned that a future Reform UK government could move to prevent trade unions from financially supporting the Labour Party if proposed legislation blocks £72 million in donations announced for Reform UK. Farage's warning has intensified an increasingly heated dispute over political party financing in Britain, with the government considering tighter restrictions on...

Published: 15 September 2026.The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Several leading retailers in the United Kingdom are facing serious criticism after a consumer investigation found that some major online shops repeatedly failed to provide customers with refunds they may be legally entitled to when returning unwanted purchases. An investigation by consumer organisation Which? found that a number of prominent retailers either failed to reimburse the original delivery charge,...

Published: 14 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Reform UK is facing growing scrutiny over two unprecedented £36m political donations after the party declined to disclose exactly when the wealthy donors behind the contributions returned to, or spent time in, the United Kingdom. The donations, worth a combined £72m, were made by cryptocurrency entrepreneurs Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne and have raised fresh questions about proposed...