Labour workers rights reforms could backfire for young workers March 12, 2026 Labour’s employment rights reforms could damage opportunities for young workers if the new laws reduce the number of flexible, entry-level roles, the UK’s top retail trade body has warned. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has called on the government to ensure the implementation of its reforms, which were passed into law in December, doesn’t hamper [...]
Housing market struggles for momentum as Iran war looms March 12, 2026 The UK housing market is struggling for momentum as uncertainty caused by the Iran war prompts banks to hike mortgage rates and pull deals. New buyer inquiries weakened in February as 26 per cent of property professionals reported a fall in interest, up from 15 per cent in January, according to the Royal Institution of [...]
Gen-Z swaps pints for gym memberships, fitness boss claims March 11, 2026 Gen-Z fitness fanatics are opting for gym memberships over pints as social media trends drive young Brits to socialise at the pull-up bar rather than the nightclub bar, the boss of The Gym Group has claimed. Will Orr, chief executive at the only London-listed gym provider, told CityAM his gyms have seen a surge [...]
Labour’s housebuilding target ‘impossible the day it was announced’ says construction boss March 11, 2026 Labour’s housebuilding target was impossible the day it was announced, the boss of a leading construction materials firm has warned. Rob Wood, chief executive of materials specialist Breedon Group, told CityAM the government’s plans to build 1.5m homes by the next general election will fail because Labour is not backing its construction industries. Wood [...]
Wizz Air pounced on by short sellers as Iran war knocks profits March 11, 2026 Budget airline Wizz Air has been hit by a flurry of short-selling after it issued a profit warning over disruption caused by the Iran war, making it the UK’s most shorted company. The Hungarian airline, which is listed on the FTSE 250, had 9.59 per cent short interest last month but this has soared to [...]
Gym Group profit doubles as fitness firm flexes its muscles March 11, 2026 The Gym Group more than doubled its profit as it bulks up its low-cost fitness offering and opens new sites. The low-cost fitness group posted pre-tax profit of £10.6m in the year to December 2025, up 194 per cent from last year, as revenue nudged up eight per cent to £245m. London’s only listed gym [...]
Balfour Beatty shares soar as firm bets on UK energy and defence March 11, 2026 Balfour Beatty shares jumped after the construction firm posted surging profit as it doubles down on bets on UK energy, transport and defence infrastructure. Profit at the FTSE 250 firm grew 51 per cent to £323m in the year to December 2025, as revenue climbed 7.5 per cent to £10.8bn and its order book reached [...]
‘Easiest time to rent in six years’ as housing supply improves March 11, 2026 Renters in the UK are enjoying the lowest level of competition for homes in six years, as price growth slows and stock increases. While 6.5 renters competed for every property last year, the average number of enquiries per home is now 4.8 – the lowest rate since 2020, according to Zoopla’s quarterly rental market report. [...]
Waterstones to book chairman as London listing gains pace March 10, 2026 Bookselling titan Waterstones is on the hunt for a chairman as it picks up the pace on its rumoured London listing. Elliott Management, the activist equity firm which owns Waterstones, has hired headhunters at Russell Reynolds Associates to draw up a list of candidates to join the bookseller’s board. This is the latest signal that [...]
Land development transparency plans ‘solve problem that doesn’t exist’ March 10, 2026 The government has been accused of offering a solution to “a problem that doesn’t exist” over an initiative requiring landowners to publicly declare options over land. The new policy, set to be unveiled by planning minister Matthew Pennycook on Monday, is intended to help small and medium-sized (SME) housebuilders by boosting transparency. The government hopes [...]
