National Insurance rises are the top business story at The Times this morning. It reports on an open letter signed by more than 70 retail businesses to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, warning job losses will be “inevitable”.
The story is also reported by The Guardian, which highlights fears the added costs will make price hikes a “certainty” and hit the retail sector to tune of over £7bn each year. Sky News and The Standard similarly warn of the potentially dire consequences for the economy and jobs.
The full story in The Grocer.
In another budget-related story, The Times describes it as “the last straw” for many companies. That’s according to the boss of Begbies Traynor, one of Britain’s go-to corporate restructuring firms, who fears the number of businesses falling into financial difficulty is likely to remain elevated. The story is also covered in the Mail.
Over in the farming sector, The Guardian reports on figures showing the UK’s intensive farming hotspots have 79 times more chickens than people. More than 51 million chickens are being industrially farmed in the river valleys of the Severn and Wye – the equivalent of 79 chickens for every person in the region – according to data shared with The Guardian by activists.
The Guardian also looks at how deluxe, restaurant-quality sandwiches have become a national obsession, fuelled by high-end independent operators and social media.
At The Telegraph, the focus is on farmer protests. Campaigners have warned farmers have “nothing to lose” in the wake of the government’s inheritance tax raid, it reports, and food supplies could be hit. Sky News also looks at the thousands of farmers descending on Downing Street to protest against inheritance tax changes, while The Times focuses on the influencers leading the charge.
In more light-hearted news, The Telegraph also features comments from celebrity chef Gino D’Acampo on air fryers. The devices are nothing new, he says, and consumers should opt for cheap and cheerful ones (such as his range).
BrewDog has closed its two flagship Mumbai bars, the FT reports this morning, in a blow to its expansion plans in India. Its bars in trendy suburb Bandra West and the office district of Lower Parel have both been closed since the summer, it reveals.
Also in the FT today, a special report details how Diageo shook up its marketing strategy to appeal to a wide customer base.
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