Keeping up with the news can be tricky. Even the most eagle-eyed observer can miss a vital news story. We think being up-to-date on economic developments is key to the success of your startup.
Every Wednesday we provide the top 10 key bits of business news from the past week.
Ban businesses from sacking new mums, say MPs
“Urgent action” is needed to give new and expectant mothers more protection at work after a “shocking” increase in discrimination, MPs have said.
The number of expectant and new mothers forced to leave their jobs has almost doubled to 54,000 since 2005.
UK consumer confidence ‘improves in August’
Confidence among UK consumers improved in August but remains below pre-Brexit vote levels.
Market research firm GfK said its consumer confidence gauge had recovered to -7 in August, up from -12 in July.
EU’s TTIP trade deal with the US has collapsed, says Germany
The European Union’s long-planned trade deal with the US has collapsed with negotiations showing no sign of progress despite three years’ of talks.
Germany’s vice-chancellor, claimed this weekend that disagreements between the EU and the US, and between countries within the EU, appear to have “de facto” killed off any prospect of a deal to create the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
Apple ordered to pay €13bn after EU rules Ireland broke state aid laws
The world’s largest company was presented with the huge bill after the European commission ruled that a sweetheart tax deal between Apple and the Irish tax authorities amounted to illegal state aid.
The commission said the deal allowed Apple to pay a maximum tax rate of just 1%. The usual rate of corporation tax in Ireland is 12.5%.
BHS closes its doors for the last time
The remaining 22 BHS stores downed shutters for the final time on Sunday, bringing to an end the department store’s 88-year history on the high street.
BHS began as an affordable general store in Brixton in south London in 1928 and became one of the stalwarts of the British high street. Its collapse has left 11,000 people without jobs.
Britons spent £5bn in bargain stores last year
Britons spent nearly £5bn at bargain stores such as Poundland, B&M and 99p Stores over the past 12 months.
Nearly four-fifths of households in Britain (78%) now buy from them, with more than half shopping at Poundland alone.
Two-thirds of Government house building funds ‘go towards fuelling demand’
Research by Shelter of the current parliament’s spending shows that just one third of money, £16.05bn, set aside to build homes is actually being targeted towards increasing supply.The other two-thirds, £28.7bn, is being funnelled into programmes that increase demand, and which risk pushing up house prices even further.
Jeremy Corbyn proposing digital ‘bill of rights’
Every home and business in the UK would have guaranteed access to high-speed broadband as part of a digital “bill of rights” proposed by Jeremy Corbyn.
In his Digital Democracy Manifesto the Labour leader said slow broadband was a “barrier to learning and a source of social and economic exclusion”.
Theresa May chairs cabinet Brexit brainstorm at Chequers
Theresa May is to chair a meeting of her cabinet at Chequers to discuss the UK’s approach to leaving the EU and its objectives in future negotiations.
The prime minister and senior ministers are gathering to debate the way forward amid reports of tensions and diverging priorities among key figures.
Mrs May has said talks with the rest of the EU will not begin this year.
New tax needed to fund NHS and care, says ex-minister
A new tax is needed to ensure the UK has a properly funded health and social care system, ex-Conservative health minister Dan Poulter has said.
Raising National Insurance “offers one of the simplest ways forward”, he said.
