CMA Warns Online Retailers to Include Delivery Fees in the Total Price Before Christmas (Business News, 4 November 2026) The Competition and Markets Authority wrote to online retailers on 2 November 2026 reminding them that mandatory delivery fees must be included in the total price shown up front. Breaches can lead to fines of up to 10% of turnover or £300,000, whichever is greater.
UK Firms Expect 3.8% Price Rises and 3.6% Pay Settlements, Bank of England Business Surveys Show (Business News, 3 November 2026) UK businesses expect to raise their own prices by 3.8% over the next year and 68% plan price rises because of the energy shock, the Bank of England's Decision Maker Panel found. Its Agents report early signs that 2027 pay settlements will average around 3.6%.
Inflation Rises to 3.5%: What September's Figures Mean for UK Founders (Business News, 27 October 2026) UK CPI inflation rose to 3.5% in September 2026, with producer input prices up 8.3% over the year. Here is what the official data shows and how founders can check their exposure.
Autumn Budget 2026: What Is Already Confirmed for Small Businesses Before 28 October (Business News, 26 October 2026) Chancellor John Healey delivers the Autumn Budget on Wednesday 28 October 2026. Several changes affecting small businesses are already confirmed, from the April 2027 Making Tax Digital threshold to business rates relief for pubs.
Government Promises £800m a Year in Red Tape and Tariff Savings for Businesses (Business News, 23 October 2026) The government says businesses will save almost £800 million a year from simpler reporting and extended import tariff suspensions, and will pause the Companies House profit and loss filing requirement until April 2028.
UK Unemployment Falls to 4.7% but Payrolls and Vacancies Keep Shrinking (Business News, 20 October 2026) UK unemployment was 4.7% in June to August 2026, down 0.1 points, while payrolled employees were 111,000 lower than a year earlier and vacancies fell to 691,000. Regular pay growth slowed to 3.7%.
UK GDP Grew 0.1% in August 2026 as Manufacturing Picked Up (Business News, 15 October 2026) The UK economy grew 0.1% in August 2026, with production up 0.8% and services flat. Over the three months to August, GDP grew 0.7%, driven entirely by services.
Seven in Ten UK Businesses Worried About Energy and Fuel Prices, ONS Survey Finds (Business News, 9 October 2026) 72% of UK businesses were concerned about energy prices and 73% about fuel prices in late September 2026, the highest levels since the ONS began asking. 91% of hospitality businesses were concerned about energy. A follow-up survey in early October found 70% concerned about energy and 72% about fuel.
Bank Rate Held at 3.75% in September 2026, With Three Votes for a Rise (Business News, 17 September 2026) The Bank of England held Bank Rate at 3.75% on 17 September 2026 by a 6–3 vote. Three members wanted a rise to 4%, and the Bank expects inflation to climb to slightly above 4% in early 2027.
UK Inflation Climbs to 3.1% in August as Fuel Prices Jump (Business News, 16 September 2026) CPI inflation rose to 3.1% in the 12 months to August 2026, from 2.9% in July, as motor fuel prices rose 23% on a year earlier. Diesel averaged 181.8p a litre, up 14.2p in a month.
UK Inflation Rises to 2.9% in July as Energy Bills Push Up Prices (Business News, 19 August 2026) CPI inflation rose to 2.9% in the 12 months to July 2026, up from 2.6% in June, as the Ofgem price cap lifted gas prices by 14.7% in the month. Here is what the figures mean for UK founders.
UK Economy Grew 0.4% Between April and June 2026, Led by Services (Business News, 13 August 2026) UK GDP rose 0.4% in the second quarter of 2026, after 0.6% in the first quarter, with services up 0.5% and production flat. GDP was 1.2% higher than a year earlier.
What Bank Rate at 4% Means for Small Business Borrowing in 2026 (Business News, 5 August 2026) The Bank of England raised Bank Rate to 4% on 5 November 2026, its first rise since 2023. Here is how the rate feeds into loans, overdrafts and commercial mortgages, and what to check now.
The New Prime Minister's "New Offer" to Business: What Founders Should Know (Business News, 24 July 2026) Andy Burnham became Prime Minister on 20 July 2026 and on 24 July set out a "new offer" to business groups: lower costs, business rates reform, faster decisions and procurement that backs British firms.