Business

The managing director of Jaguar has hit out at what he called “vile hatred and intolerance” after the car company released a new advert. A 30-second clip posted on the luxury car brand’s X account on Tuesday prompted online backlash after it featured a diverse group of models posing in bright clothes but no vehicles

Potential suitors have again begun circling ITV, Britain’s biggest terrestrial commercial broadcaster, after a prolonged period of share price weakness and renewed questions about its long-term strategic destiny. Sky News has learnt that a number of possible bidders for parts or all of the company, whose biggest shows include Love Island, have in recent weeks

The family which has owned Ann Summers, the lingerie and sex toy retailer, for more than half a century is to explore options for the business which could include a partial or majority sale. Sky News has learnt that the Gold family is close to hiring Interpath, the corporate advisory firm, to work on a

Lomond Group, the chain of lettings agents owned by an arm of Britain’s biggest high street lender, is to change hands in a deal worth about £450m. Sky News has learnt that ICG, the London-listed investor, has agreed a deal to invest in Lomond after an auction lasting several months. City sources said a deal

Cambridge University’s wealthiest college is putting the long-term lease of London’s O2 arena up for sale. Sky News has learnt that Trinity College has instructed property advisers to begin sounding out prospective investors about a deal. Trinity, which ranks among Britain’s biggest landowners, acquired the site in 2009 for a reported £24m. The O2, which

Manchester City have lost their latest battle with the Premier League over financial rules. At a meeting today the required 14 clubs backed changes to governing deals with companies linked to their ownerships after elements were found to be “unlawful” following a case brought by City. Sky News understands four clubs – City, Newcastle, Aston

Apax Partners is leading the race to buy the accountancy arm of Evelyn Partners – a move expected to revive one of the sector’s best-known names. Sky News has learnt that Apax and Bridgepoint are the two remaining contenders to buy the business, with a deal expected to be signed as soon as this weekend.

Household energy bills will jump by £21 from January in a fresh blow for millions of pensioners who face the loss of winter fuel payments. Ofgem’s announcement on Friday means the price cap will rise from £1,717 a year for a typical dual-fuel household paying by direct debit to £1,738 from January 1. There had

Gas and electricity bills will become even more expensive in January, as the energy regulator Ofgem ups the price cap. A typical yearly bill will be £1,738 from January, an increase of 1.2%. For billpayers, it means an extra £21 a year or around £1.75 a month. It’s another blow as falls in prices had

At least eight convictions predating the Horizon Post Office scandal are being looked at by the body investigating potential miscarriages of justice, Sky News has learned. The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has confirmed it is examining multiple cases of former sub-postmasters affected by Capture software. The computer accounting system was used in the early

Official accounts have revealed for the first time how much the King’s 2023 coronation cost UK taxpayers. According to the accounts, the government spent £72m on the coronation – the first in Britain since Queen Elizabeth II’s in 1953. The figure includes £50.3m of costs attributed to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS),

A former boss of Six Nations Rugby is to step down as head of the commercial operations of French football’s top flight after just two years. Sky News understands that Ben Morel, who was appointed to the role early last year, is to leave during the course of 2025. His departure will come as CVC

An investigation is under way into the France-based defence company Thales for suspected bribery and corruption, the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has announced. A statement, released shortly after French financial markets had closed for the day, said a joint investigation involving the SFO’s French counterparts PNF was under way. It did not detail any

Jay Rayner, one of Britain’s most prominent restaurant critics, is leaving The Observer after 25 years amid an escalating backlash against the sale of the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper to Tortoise Media. Sky News understands that Mr Rayner will join the Financial Times to write restaurant reviews for its Weekend edition. He is understood to

Mortgage rates have risen since the budget based on expectations further base rate cuts could be delayed – and while this is bad news for borrowers, higher rates should be great for savers. But the Money blog can reveal some of the same banks and building societies that have raised mortgage rates in the last

Royal Mail’s parent firm has blamed the budget for a failure to return to profitability, warning it cannot rule out price hikes and job cuts in response. International Distribution Services (IDS) said it had set aside £134m in the first half of its financial year, with £120m directly linked to Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ hike to

Dozens of partners at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Britain’s biggest accountancy firm, will next month take early retirement as its new boss takes steps to boost its performance. Sky News has learnt that PwC’s 1,030 UK partners were notified earlier this week that a larger-than-usual round of partner retirements would take place at the end of the

Rachel Reeves’s inflation-busting pay deals and soaring debt interest helped to push public borrowing in October to the second-highest on record, according to official data. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the government borrowed £17.4bn last month to cover the gap between tax revenues and public spending. This was £4bn more than expected and

Nine water companies have been blocked from using customer money to fund “undeserved” bonuses by the industry’s regulator. Ofwat said it had stepped in to use its new powers over water firms that cannot show that bonuses are sufficiently linked to performance. The blocked payouts amount to 73% of the total executive awards proposed across

Nvidia, the chipmaker driving the boom in artificial intelligence (AI), has seen fresh falls in its share price following an earnings report amid continued supply chain constraints. Its third quarter trading update showed demand for its top generative AI chips would continue to outstrip supply for at least a year. Some would argue it is

The private equity firm Cinven is in advanced talks to buy a major stake in Grant Thornton UK in a deal that would rank among the most significant ever struck in Britain’s audit sector. Sky News has learnt that Cinven is close to agreeing a deal to acquire the shareholding, with sources suggesting on Wednesday