
The King’s Speech detailed proposals for a number of areas of new legislation that are likely to affect small employers.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) subsequently reported that nine-in-ten employers surveyed by them had said they have concerns that the costs and risks associated with employing people would be increasing.
The FSB also noted that there was no legislation announced to tackle the poor payment practices of big businesses toward their small suppliers. FSB Policy Chair Tina McKenzie said late payment “hampers cashflow and stifles investment, and we call on the Government to look again.”
See: https://www.fsb.org.uk/resources-page/fsb-weekly-brief-newsletter-friday-19-july-2024.html

The latest Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal a depressing landscape for UK companies. Foreign acquisitions of UK companies soared in value to £25.4 billion, up £9.7 billion from Q1 2026 and £15.7 billion higher than Q2 2025, highlighting how cheap UK company valuations are compared to foreign markets.

The UK government has unveiled its comprehensive response to the consultation on the post-2025 rollout of smart meters for non-domestic sites.





