Reuters UK Domestic

LONDON (Reuters) – John Lewis said it would recruit 10,000 Christmas staff for its department stores, Waitrose supermarkets and online operations, adding that all its workers would receive free meals in the period to help with the rising cost of living. The British retailer, which is owned by its employees, said it would offer 4,000 …

UK’s John Lewis to recruit 10,000 Christmas staff, with free meals bonus Read More »

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s Co-Operative Group said on Wednesday it had agreed to sell its petrol forecourt estate, comprising 129 sites, to supermarket rival Asda for 600 million pounds ($700 million). The mutually owned Co-Op said it would use the proceeds of the sale to invest in its core convenience stores business and reduce its …

Britain’s Co-Op sells petrol forecourt business to rival Asda Read More »

(Reuters) – Ukrainian armoured forces have continued to assault Russia’s southern grouping of forces on several axes across the South of the country since Monday, the British defence ministry said on Wednesday. Ukrainian formations have pushed the Russian forces frontline back some distance in places, exploiting relatively thinly held Russian defences, the ministry said in …

Ukrainian formations pushed back Russian forces in some places, Britain says Read More »

By Jonathan Cable LONDON (Reuters) – The surge in British house prices will come to an end next year as the cost of living crisis and rising borrowing costs put the brakes on what has been a buoyant market for years, a Reuters poll found. Inflation is running at a 40-year high of over 10% …

UK house price surge to end as cost of living crisis bites – Reuters poll Read More »

LONDON (Reuters) – Confidence among British businesses has sunk to its lowest since March 2021 as companies worry about fast-rising inflation, according to a survey published on Wednesday which also showed pay pressures stabilising after a recent rise. Lloyds Bank said its monthly business barometer dropped to 16% in August from 25% in July, with …

UK business confidence hit again by inflation surge – Lloyds Read More »

LONDON (Reuters) – Shops and supermarkets in Britain increased prices by 5.1% in the 12 months to August, the largest rise in records dating back to 2005, reflecting a jump in food costs caused by the war in Ukraine, the British Retail Consortium said on Wednesday. Food prices leapt by 9.3% after a 7.0% increase …

UK shop price inflation jumps to 5.1% in July – BRC Read More »

LONDON (Reuters) – England is likely to experience longer, drier summers later this decade that could worsen the risk of droughts, according to British national forecaster the Met Office, which said the change was due to increasing climate change. Large parts of England have declared a drought in recent weeks and a record-breaking European heatwave …

England faces longer, drier summers due to climate change -national forecaster Read More »

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s government will provide 1.16 billion pounds ($1.35 billion) of further financial support for London transport, including the Tube and buses, until end-March 2024, operator Transport for London (TfL) said on Tuesday. The funding package replaces TfL’s last bailout, which was the fourth since the start of the pandemic in 2020. The …

UK agrees $1.35 billion of new support for London transport Read More »