Business & Economy

Published: 22 September '2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Vodafone, one of the UK’s most recognisable telecoms brands, is facing growing scrutiny over its treatment of franchisees, after it emerged that warnings about the devastating mental health impact of commission cuts had been raised as far back as 2020—four years before a £120m High Court claim was launched. The revelations shed light on deep-rooted dissatisfaction among small...

Published: 20 September — The English Chronicle Desk | The English Chronicle Online King Charles’s private property holdings have reportedly earned more than £1 million from the sale of land intended for infrastructure linked to the northern leg of HS2, the high-speed rail project that has since been cancelled, the Guardian has revealed. The Duchy of Lancaster, which manages the monarch’s private estate, received a total of £1,132,400 from sales...

Published: 20 September — The English Chronicle Desk | The English Chronicle Online The once-promising future of Dagenham Dock has been thrown into uncertainty following the cancellation of a multi-million-pound project that was meant to transform the borough into a hub of wholesale food trade. What was once the site of the Barking Reach power station, spanning 42 acres, was earmarked for redevelopment into a state-of-the-art market complex to house...

Published: 20 September — The English Chronicle Desk | The English Chronicle Online In a development that underscores the growing potential of artificial intelligence, a British startup has made waves in the global forecasting community after outperforming hundreds of human participants in an international competition. The system, developed by ManticAI, ranked among the top ten in the prestigious Metaculus Cup, a contest that challenges competitors to predict the outcomes of...

Published: 20 September | The English Chronicle Desk Rachel Reeves, the UK chancellor, is facing mounting criticism over her decision to appear as the guest of honour at a private event hosted by a leading gambling lobbyist, just as the Treasury undertakes a review into taxes on the £12 billion gambling sector. The controversy has raised questions about political judgment, impartiality, and the possible influence of industry ties on government...

Published: 19 September '2025. The English Chronicle Desk Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party has received a £100,000 donation from a London-based design and architecture company that earlier this year faced a winding-up petition from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The contribution, made in three separate tranches during June, comes as the party continues to expand its fundraising efforts from diverse private sources, including wealthy individuals both in the UK and...

Published: 19 September '2025. The English Chronicle Desk The United Kingdom’s public finances are under renewed scrutiny after official figures revealed that government borrowing in August surged to £18 billion, significantly higher than both City expectations and forecasts from economic authorities. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that public sector net borrowing—the difference between government spending and income—rose by £3.5 billion compared with the same month last year, underscoring...

Published: 18 September '2025. The English Chronicle Desk Shares in clothing and homeware retailer Next plunged sharply on Thursday morning after the company issued a stark warning about the UK economy, highlighting anaemic growth and mounting pressures on jobs and productivity. The FTSE 100 firm, chaired by Conservative peer Simon Wolfson, warned that regulatory changes, government spending, and rising taxes could continue to weigh heavily on households and businesses, reinforcing...

Published: 16 September '2025. The English Chronicle Desk In a dramatic turn for one of the world’s most iconic ice-cream brands, Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, has resigned after nearly five decades with the company, citing deep concerns over the erosion of its social mission. Greenfield’s departure underscores tensions between the company’s founding principles and the corporate priorities of its parent company, Unilever, which he claims has “silenced”...

Published: 16 September '2025. The English Chronicle Desk The United Kingdom’s inflation rate held steady in August at 3.8%, according to official figures, underscoring continued pressures on households as the Bank of England prepares to maintain interest rates at elevated levels. The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that consumer price inflation has plateaued, reflecting a complex interplay of price rises in some areas and falls...