Business & Economy

Published: 06 October 2025. The English Chronicle Desk, English Chronicle Online. Millions of households across England could soon face water bill increases higher than originally anticipated, as the country’s competition regulator prepares to deliver a preliminary verdict on industry spending proposals, potentially as early as this week. The decision comes amid heightened scrutiny over rising costs for consumers and mounting political attention on England’s water sector. A total of five...

Published: 05 October '2025. the English Chronicle Desk Media tycoon Richard Desmond is set to launch a high-stakes legal challenge against the Gambling Commission this week over the award of the National Lottery licence, a dispute that could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds. Desmond’s companies, Northern & Shell and The New Lottery Company (TNLC), are seeking up to £1.3bn in damages, alleging “manifest errors” in the complex process...

Published: 04 October' 2025. the English Chronicle Desk, English Chronicle Online Chancellor Rachel Reeves is facing mounting pressure from within her own party to consider abandoning key manifesto pledges in the run-up to the November budget, amid warnings that sticking rigidly to them could result in a “pasty tax” scenario—an unpopular mix of minor revenue-raising measures that risk political backlash. Sources close to Downing Street have confirmed that as the...

Published: 04 October' 2025. the English Chronicle Desk, English Chronicle Online The BBC is exploring unconventional avenues to protect its flagship international arm, the World Service, by lobbying to use the UK’s defence budget to offset looming financial shortfalls. Senior executives argue that several facets of the World Service, including media monitoring and counter-disinformation operations, are critical to national security, a claim that could allow some of its expenditure to...

Published: 03 October 2025. The English Chronicle Desk The chairman of the UK pub giant Wetherspoon’s, Tim Martin, has promised to keep price increases at his establishments to a minimum, amid mounting pressures from rising energy bills and new packaging taxes. Martin highlighted the impact of the recently introduced “extended producer responsibility” levy, a packaging tax that has dramatically increased costs for the chain. He revealed that Wetherspoon’s annual expenses...

Published: 02 October '2025. The English Chronicle Desk The United Kingdom’s political and business communities were thrown into debate and dismay following Conservative leadership contender Kemi Badenoch’s recent declaration that she would repeal the 2008 Climate Change Act if the Tories win the next general election. The announcement, which aims to remove the legal requirement for the government to set five-yearly carbon budgets leading up to 2050, was swiftly condemned...

Published: 01 October '2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online In a landmark legal decision, the UK government has successfully reclaimed £122 million from a company linked to Conservative peer Michelle Mone after it supplied defective personal protective equipment (PPE) during the Covid-19 pandemic. The case, which has drawn intense public scrutiny, revolved around claims that PPE Medpro failed to meet statutory safety standards for 25 million surgical...

Published: 01 October '2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online The United Kingdom’s housing market has shown signs of renewed growth after a subdued summer, with Nationwide Building Society reporting a 0.5% rise in average house prices during September compared with the previous month. This marks a rebound from a 0.1% decline observed in August and signals what economists describe as a period of broad stability in an...

Published: 01 October '2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online For the first time in half a decade, a significant number of Marks & Spencer employees are set to work on Boxing Day, marking a major shift in the retailer’s Christmas staffing policy. The decision comes as M&S moves to reduce operational costs and improve efficiency during the peak holiday period, but it has sparked frustration among staff,...

Published: 30 September '2025. The English Chronicle Desk Royal Mail’s new owner, International Distribution Services (IDS), has announced a major expansion of its presence on the UK high street by acquiring a substantial stake in the parcel network Collect+ and rebranding thousands of convenience stores as Royal Mail Shops. The move marks the first significant investment by IDS since its takeover by Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský in April, a £3.6...