Business news 15 January 2026 UK business confidence received a modest boost this week as economic growth beat expectations and markets steadied, but beneath the surface pressures remain. Rising taxes, policy uncertainty, sector-specific weakness and a heavy flow of insolvencies

Business news 14 January 2026 UK businesses are facing a growing squeeze as tax concerns, regulatory pressure and weakening confidence collide. Fresh surveys show business sentiment at a three-year low, investors increasingly anxious about tax rises, and hospitality operators cutting

Business news 13 January 2026 Small businesses entered 2026 under growing pressure as confidence slumped to its lowest level since the pandemic, costs rose sharply following the Budget, and insolvency activity continued to tick higher. Pubs, restaurants, recruiters and retailers

Business news 12 January 2026 Cost pressure is still the headline for UK small businesses that sell on terms: business rates uncertainty is spreading beyond pubs, tax policy is getting noisier (and harder to plan around), and confidence indicators are

Business news 9 January 2026 UK businesses are heading into 2026 facing a difficult mix of weaker demand, rising job losses and ongoing policy uncertainty. While global markets have been buoyed by mining consolidation and defence spending, conditions on the