Business

Manchester United Football Club is to cut the funding it provides to its charitable arm as part of a purge of costs being overseen by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, its newest billionaire shareholder. Sky News has learnt that the Premier League club plans to inform the Manchester United Foundation that it intends to curb the benefits

Shoppers have complained after seeing Easter eggs already out on supermarket shelves. Easter Sunday is four months away, falling on 20 April next year, but chocolate eggs and hot cross buns have already been spotted for sale in shops including Morrisons, Tesco and Asda. Gary Evans, 66, from Margate, shared a picture of Creme Eggs

Sir Keir Starmer has ordered Britain’s key watchdogs to remove barriers to growth in a bid to kickstart Britain’s sluggish economy. Sky News has learnt that the prime minister wrote to more than ten regulators – including Ofgem, Ofwat, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Competition and Markets Authority – on Christmas Eve to demand

Searchlight Capital Partners, the private equity firm which has backed companies including Secret Escapes, is to lead a new funding package for Wefox, the European insurance company, that could be worth up to €170m (£141m). Sky News has learnt that Searchlight has effectively proposed stepping in to refinance Wefox’s existing bank debt as the group

An Oxford University spinout which is developing a new generation of weed-resistant herbicides has begun planting a $40m (£32m) fundraising with prospective backers. Sky News understands that Moa Technology, which was co-founded by the world-leading university’s head of plant sciences Professor Liam Dolan, is kicking off a Series C funding round. Moa has already raised

Cadbury says it is “disappointed” after losing its royal warrant after 170 years. The chocolate maker behind festive favourites such as Heroes and Dairy Milk is among the brands that have had their warrants withdrawn under King Charles. The development was reported in a list published by Buckingham Palace’s Royal Warrant Holders Association. Warrants are

Aviva has agreed a deal to buy rival company Direct Line for £3.7bn ahead of a Christmas Day deadline. The insurance firm announced the agreement with its smaller competitor a few weeks after a £3.3bn bid was turned down in November. A deal for the two firms would make them a force in motor insurance,

Japanese car giants, Honda and Nissan, have announced plans to merge. That would make them the third largest car maker by sales. The two companies said they had signed a memorandum of understanding, which would also include the smaller Nissan Alliance member, Mitsubishi Motors, in the talks on integration. Japan’s car makers have struggled to

The UK economy showed no growth in the last quarter, according to the revised figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The previous estimate for July and September said the economy grew by 0.1%. Early estimates show that real GDP per head fell by 0.2% in the third quarter of 2024, and is 0.2%

The UK economy is “headed for the worst of all worlds” as businesses expect activity to fall at the start of next year, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). The industry group’s growth indicator survey found that private sector firms expect to cut down on hiring, reduce output and for prices to rise

An electric cargo bike logistics company which counts the fashion giant Zara among its partners has launched an urgent hunt for new backers. Sky News has learnt that Zedify, which has raised millions of pounds from investors including Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital, is working with Interpath Advisory on a review of its financing options. Zedify

Andrew Bailey, the Bank of England governor, will join Rachel Reeves on a visit to China next month aimed at strengthening financial services trade ties between the two countries. Sky News has learnt that Mr Bailey and Nikhil Rathi, chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority, will both accompany the chancellor on the January trip.

Retail giants including Asda, Marks & Spencer, Primark and Tesco will mount a new year campaign to warn Rachel Reeves that plans to hike business rates on larger shops will put jobs and stores under threat. Sky News has learnt that some of Britain’s biggest chains – which also include J Sainsbury, Morrisons and Kingfisher-owned

Tesla has recalled almost 700,000 of its electric vehicles because of an issue with the warning light on the tyre pressure monitoring system. Its warning light may not remain illuminated between drive cycles, failing to warn the driver of low tyre pressure and increasing the risk of a crash, the manufacturer said. The issue affects

Many months before farmers found themselves on the front pages of newspapers, after protesting in Whitehall against the new government’s inheritance tax rules, we at Sky News embarked upon a project. Most of our reports are relatively short affairs, recorded and edited for the evening news. We capture snapshots of life in households, businesses and

The cost of living crisis has “boosted” the secondhand industry, Sky News has been told, as more than £2bn is spent on pre-loved gifts this Christmas. Adam Jay, CEO of Vinted Marketplace, said the “trend” in buying pre-loved was “happening anyway” but described rising costs elsewhere as a possible “accelerator”. “I’m sure the cost of

The rugged mountains, limestone caves and spectacular waterfalls of Bannau Brycheiniog – the Brecon Beacons – attract visitors from all over the world. Tourism is a vital part of the local economy. But local attractions say the industry would be devastated by the Welsh government’s plans for a nightly visitor tax. “In an area like

The UK’s retail sales recovery was smaller than expected in the key Christmas shopping month of November, official figures show. Retail sales rose just 0.2% last month despite discounting events in the run-up to Black Friday. It followed a 0.7% fall seen in October, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Sales

Dating apps changed single life forever when they brought swiping, liking and ghosting to the masses. Now, nearly two million people in the UK use online dating services to find love, according to Statista. But in the 12 years since Tinder revolutionised romance, many people say they fell out of love with the process. “Most

Very few will be surprised by the Bank of England’s decision to keep rates on hold at 4.75%. What is more striking is the policy rift that has emerged. Three members of the rate-setting committee voted to cut rates while the other six opted to keep them as they are. It reflects some of the