Month: December 2024

If you’re hurtling like a juggernaut towards year end with a demanding ‘To Do’ list flashing before your eyes as soon as your head hits the pillow, you are not alone.
2024 has been a year of upheaval, with the UK and US elections, a new UK government, and the Autumn Budget, all fuelling uncertainty. Add to that the whirlwind of client lunches, festive drinks, networking events, meetings, deadlines, planning sessions, and the annual rush of gift buying, school nativities, and hosting duties, and suddenly, the “most wonderful time of the year” might not feel so wonderful.
With all these demands, it might be a challenge to switch off over the festive season, but, as a leader, you owe it to yourself, your team, and your family to do just that.
Beware the monkeys
Unlike certain animals, we can’t go into full hibernation mode at this time of year, but we can still go that little bit easier on ourselves. By allowing some time to stop, rest and reflect on where we’re at and where we want to be, we can emerge stronger, with a fresh perspective and renewed vigour.
In a poll carried out by Mental Health UK, 77% of people felt their mental health worsened at Christmas. It’s not surprising when you consider the enormous pressure to tie up all those frustrating loose ends at work, on top of whatever is going on at home.
And while it may be tempting to rid ourselves of that annoying ‘monkey on our shoulder’ by delegating a task or problem onto others, it’s probably a better idea to consider whether these ‘monkeys’ are genuinely urgent. If not, write it down and deal with it in the new year. Don’t let the monkey put you off your Christmas dinner!
The right to switch off
With 57% of UK employees said to work either ‘sometimes’ or ‘often’ while on annual leave, leaders must also advocate for the whole team to actively step away from emails and disconnect from work as much as possible while on holiday.
That means you too!
Such is the pressure to be ‘always on’ and the increasingly blurred lines between home and work due to remote and hybrid working, the Labour government is set to introduce measures around the ’Right to Switch Off’ in the next phase of their ‘Make Work Pay Plan’.
Get ahead of those changes and start implementing your own guidance around the proposed policy now. And try to practice what you preach. Will it be easy? Probably not, but whether it’s locking your phone away completely or limiting yourself to certain check-in times, resisting the urge to be constantly ‘on’ will gradually get easier and make a genuine difference to your work/life balance.
All is calm, all is bright
Mental Health UK’s “Burnout Report 2024” found that one in five UK workers took time off due to stress. In addition, independent research from Breathe reveals that only 35% use their full annual leave, yet 58% would take up to five extra unpaid days if offered. A gap that highlights a serious disconnect between what employees need and what they feel is acceptable.
But here’s the twist – giving employees the freedom to take time off when they need it can work wonders. Studies show that using annual leave can boost productivity by up to 40%, reduce fatigue and irritability, and cut sick leave by 28%.
Employers must therefore foster a culture where taking time off is not only encouraged but is genuinely guilt-free. Remember that not everyone celebrates the festive season, so offering flexibility in holiday scheduling can be another plus point for your team.
By leading by example, employers can cultivate a healthier, more productive workplace, laying the foundation for long-term success. So, take that break and enjoy some well-deserved, guilt-free time off!
Give thanks…to yourself too!
Let’s not forget that this season is, primarily, a time for celebration. Recognise those wins, irrespective of challenges, and give yourself a pat on the back!
And it’s not just about work. Personal achievements and objectives count too. Aiming for that illusive balance is critical to our wellbeing and something most of us need to improve on. Whether it’s pottery or skydiving, perhaps 2025 is the year to finally take up that new hobby?
In summary
Embrace the reality that not everything will be perfectly sown up by the end of the year, and that’s totally fine!
Focus on what truly matters and let the rest take a back seat. Encourage your team to do the same and lighten the collective load. This approach will leave everyone feeling brighter and you’ll return in the new year healthier, happier, and more energised.
This season, set the example and remind your team how important it is to take time for themselves. Above all, give yourself permission to rest, celebrate what’s been achieved, and aim for a better work/life balance in the year ahead.
You deserve it!
Read more:
Give yourself a break: You deserve it

A pioneering London-based electric taxi firm has secured a £1.6 million asset refinance deal, strengthening its position in the capital’s rapidly evolving green transport sector and setting the stage for major growth.
Sherbet Electric Taxi Company, which has fully decarbonised its fleet of London black cabs, will use the funding to pursue strategic mergers and acquisitions, boosting its fleet and overall market presence.
The asset finance facility, delivered by Reward Funding and brokered by Ethos Asset Finance, will help Sherbet maximise the commercial potential of its new flagship headquarters in Camden. Beyond serving as a business nerve centre, the site will feature a 24/7 café and community hub launching in January. Designed to support licensed taxi drivers and offer a welcoming space for vulnerable individuals or those needing a safe haven, this initiative underlines the company’s commitment to social as well as environmental responsibility.
Asher Moses, founder and owner of Sherbet, has spent more than two decades innovating within the iconic London taxi trade—introducing credit and debit card payments in the early 1990s and championing taxi advertising. Now, his focus is firmly on sustainable mobility: Sherbet has replaced 250 diesel vehicles with an all-electric fleet, aligning its ambitions with Transport for London’s vision to eliminate emissions and improve the city’s air quality.
“Corporate demand for greener transport solutions is surging, and as we invest further in our fleet and infrastructure, we knew we needed a flexible finance solution,” Moses said. “Reward’s support allows us to seize the current market opportunity, expand swiftly, and stay true to our values. With the asset refinance deal secured, we’re looking to treble in size through carefully considered mergers and acquisitions, all while championing a more sustainable future for London transport.”
For Reward Funding, the deal exemplifies how innovative finance options can unlock growth for businesses with strong social and environmental agendas. Robert Still, managing director of Reward Asset Finance, noted: “We are proud to support Sherbet’s vision, not only as a lender but as an advocate for cleaner, greener mobility. By utilising the equity in their assets, we’ve enabled Sherbet to scale more rapidly than would be possible with conventional bank lending.”
With fresh capital in hand and a clear strategy for scaling up sustainably, Sherbet Electric Taxi Company’s success story looks set to continue, setting a benchmark for how traditional services can adapt to a zero-emission future.
Read more:
London’s leading electric taxi firm secures £1.6m asset refinance to drive ambitious expansion

A leading Welsh start-up accelerator programme has honoured six entrepreneurs for their breakthrough innovations, marking the end of an intensive 12-week initiative designed to supercharge business ideas into market-ready ventures.
The Business Wales Start-Up Accelerator Programme, funded by the Welsh Government, assembled 21 aspiring entrepreneurs, equipping them with expert mentorship, hands-on support, and unparalleled networking opportunities. After three months of rigorous development, the top participants were recognised for their achievements across six award categories:
Sales Accelerator Award: Trystan Lloyd, LYFT Club
LYFT Club bridges the gap between health and fitness practitioners and new clients through its storytelling-led marketing platform. This model enhances customer trust and simplifies the search for reputable wellness services.
Proposition Flex Award: Paul Tomotas, AVA Steel Ltd
AVA Steel Ltd converts steel industry waste into sustainable raw materials, such as iron briquettes and zinc concentrates. Its innovative methods address environmental challenges while offering cost-effective, green steel production solutions.
Accelerator Champion Award: Andrea Jones, VisVira Ltd
VisVira Ltd streamlines business productivity with autonomous AI agents that handle repetitive tasks. By easing the operational load, companies can devote more resources to expansion, innovation, and strategic initiatives.
Fastest Sales Award: Dan Newman, BALDILOCKS
BALDILOCKS helps those experiencing hair loss regain confidence through curated well-being experiences. Supported by customers shopping in the “Baldiverse,” the venture fosters a community-centric approach to self-esteem and resilience.
Most Collaborative Participant Award: Osian Evans, GoIawn
GoIawn’s platform, Antur Amser, promotes Welsh-language literacy through immersive, story-driven educational technology. This platform enables schools to deliver interactive learning experiences that engage students with their language and culture.
Accelerator Award: Gareth Thomas, Solitaire
Solitaire.io is an indie gaming platform combining solitaire gameplay with collectible playing cards, forging a loyal user base and leveraging crowdfunding to fuel its expansion. This fusion of traditional gaming and branding innovation has quickly captured players’ imaginations.
Richard Morris, Programme Director for the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme, praised the cohort: “We are immensely proud of this year’s participants. Their creativity, perseverance, and entrepreneurial drive have been extraordinary. These awards celebrate their journey and highlight the transformative potential they hold for their industries.”
Andrea Jones, Accelerator Champion Award winner, emphasised the programme’s impact: “The Start-Up Accelerator Programme took my idea from concept to full market readiness. VisVira’s AI agent assistants and ‘AI employees’ are now poised to enter a rapidly evolving landscape with confidence and clarity.”
With the programme wrapped up and the awards distributed, these entrepreneurs stand primed to invigorate Wales’s business landscape. Their growth and future success are set to reinforce the region’s reputation as a vibrant, forward-looking hub for innovation and enterprise.
Read more:
Welsh start-up accelerator announces award-winning entrepreneurs ready to reshape their sectors

The Business Secretary is facing accusations of failing to fully engage with Vauxhall’s parent company Stellantis ahead of its decision to close the van-making plant in Luton—a move that puts up to 1,100 jobs at risk.
Critics claim the Government neglected to maintain meaningful dialogue for months despite an early warning of potential closure.
Stellantis, which owns the Vauxhall brand, announced last month that it would consolidate its British operations at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, citing the UK’s stringent zero-emission vehicle quotas as a “significant factor” in its choice to close the Luton site. The news arrives against a backdrop of several major automotive plant closures over the past decade, raising fresh doubts about the future of car manufacturing in Britain.
Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, met Stellantis representatives on three occasions in July—shortly after Labour’s election victory—when the Government was first alerted to the company’s inclination towards a Luton shutdown. However, according to parliamentary records, no further ministerial meetings took place until 26 November, the same day that Stellantis publicly confirmed the closure plans.
Andrew Griffith, the Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade, who tabled the parliamentary question, criticised the gaps in engagement. “It’s clear the Government was not taking the issues at Luton seriously,” Griffith said. He added that the Chancellor’s recent budget, with its additional pressures such as the National Insurance rise, may have further complicated the environment for manufacturers.
Sources within Whitehall insist that Stellantis remained in contact with officials from both the business and transport departments during the summer and autumn, discussing possible support measures for their UK sites. When announcing the closure, Reynolds defended the Government’s role before the Commons Business and Trade Select Committee. He noted that the Government had been aware of Stellantis’s concerns from early on and had repeatedly urged the company to reconsider.
In response to the crisis, Reynolds has launched a consultation on the UK’s zero-emission vehicle mandate, under which 22% of each carmaker’s 2024 sales must be zero-emission—rising sharply to 80% by 2030. Industry voices have warned this timetable may be overly ambitious given weaker-than-expected market demand, risking investment and jobs if not managed more flexibly.
A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade stressed that the Government remains committed to the automotive sector. They pointed to ongoing financial support, including more than £300 million to encourage electric vehicle uptake and £2 billion earmarked to aid domestic industry’s transition to net zero.
Meanwhile, Unite, the trade union, has called on Stellantis to suspend the Luton closure as the company seeks a new chief executive and considers strategic adjustments. The union argues that fresh leadership could pave the way for a different approach, potentially safeguarding jobs and helping the UK retain a robust automotive manufacturing base.
Read more:
Business secretary under fire over delayed talks as Vauxhall confirms Luton closure

The UK’s labour market is coming under intense strain as the number of applications per advertised job surges dramatically, reflecting deep-rooted economic uncertainties and a tight hiring climate.
According to data from talent acquisition platform Tribepad, the average number of applications per vacancy hit 48.7 in November—an astonishing 286% increase on the same month last year. In raw terms, candidates are sending out far more CVs: total applications between September and November soared to more than 4.5 million, a 64% rise on the year.
The figures were released just weeks after the Chancellor’s autumn budget, which has prompted businesses to rein in spending and hiring. Tribepad’s analysis indicates a 24% year-on-year drop in roles advertised between September and November, despite a modest seasonal boost as retailers and hospitality firms scaled up for the festive period. November alone saw a particularly sharp dip, with job postings falling by 43% compared to 2023.
This imbalance—few jobs and a glut of applicants—is putting employers and candidates on edge. Despite the rollout of shared hiring platforms and automated recruitment tools, employers are facing a flood of applications that can be difficult to manage. Some analysts suggest the spike may be partly due to job hunters using artificial intelligence to generate more applications more swiftly, seeking to maximise their chances in a cut-throat environment.
Meanwhile, workers are feeling the squeeze. After 28 consecutive months of declining vacancies, opportunities are scarce and competition fierce. While certain sectors, including retail and hospitality, offered a brief autumn reprieve, many businesses are either scaling back permanent hires or shifting resources elsewhere.
Dean Sadler, chief executive of Tribepad, said: “The surge in applications per job to nearly 50 on average is a clear sign of an extremely competitive market. Employers must rethink their recruitment strategies not just to handle the volume efficiently, but to ensure fairness and remove bias. It’s critical that, despite the influx, the hiring process remains equitable, offering everyone a fair chance.”
With economic headwinds continuing to bear down on businesses and households alike, the UK’s labour market looks set to remain a challenging battleground into the new year.
Read more:
Record surge in job applications as UK vacancies dwindle

Landlords appear to be shrugging off the Government’s latest tax increases, according to fresh data suggesting that buy-to-let investors are now accounting for a larger share of property purchases than before the Chancellor’s recent reforms.
The analysis, conducted by estate agency Hamptons on transaction data from its parent firm, Countrywide, shows that landlords were responsible for 10.7% of accepted offers in Great Britain this November—up from the 2024 year-to-date average of 10.2%. These findings challenge warnings that new stamp duty surcharges would deter investors from expanding their portfolios.
Last month’s Autumn statement by Chancellor Rachel Reeves raised the stamp duty surcharge levied on second-home and buy-to-let purchases by two percentage points to 5%. This means that an investor buying a £500,000 property now faces an additional £37,500 tax bill, up £10,000 on the previous rate.
Industry groups had feared this move would trigger a dramatic slump in buy-to-let activity, further constraining Britain’s already limited supply of rental homes. Yet, so far, the response from landlords has not matched those grim forecasts.
“Early signs suggest that new landlords have shown relative resilience to yet another cost increase,” said Aneisha Beveridge, head of research at Hamptons. “While the number of buy-to-let purchases remains muted by historic standards, their numbers have not collapsed.”
The latest figures contrast with the long-term trend of shrinking buy-to-let participation since a wave of tax reforms targeting landlords began in 2016. Back in 2015, private investors snapped up 16% of all UK properties. According to Hamptons, that figure is now significantly lower and is likely to end the year at around 113,630 new buy-to-let deals—40% fewer than eight years ago.
Even so, the resilience of the sector is apparent across various regions. In the more affordable North East, landlords accounted for 18.4% of purchases in November. Yet London, often viewed as a tough market for landlords due to high prices and lower rental yields, still saw 14.7% of its transactions made by property investors.
Meanwhile, rising rental costs—an increasing burden for Britain’s tenants over recent years—seem to be moderating. Average rent growth slowed to 2.6% year-on-year in November, bringing the average monthly rent across Britain to £1,382. This steadier pace offers some relief to renters, who have contended with steep increases following the pandemic.
The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) argues that a decline in landlords since 2016 has contributed to tenant hardship. The group points to official data showing that 7,130 households required council support for homelessness between April and June 2024—an increase from 5,400 between October and December 2023.
For now, the market’s initial response to the latest tax hike suggests that landlords, while more selective in their purchases, are not willing to exit the sector en masse. Instead, they appear to be recalibrating strategies, targeting areas where yields remain attractive and absorbing the added tax burden rather than abandoning the buy-to-let market altogether.
Read more:
Landlords defy tax hike as buy-to-let share of market edges higher

Surrey County Council has admitted it does not have enough state school places to accommodate children transferring from private schools, following the government’s introduction of a 20 per cent VAT levy on independent education.
Forecasts obtained through a Freedom of Information request show that for the September 2025 intake, there are expected to be no vacancies available for Year 9, 10, or 11 students, and only limited spaces in younger year groups. The shortfall comes despite estimates suggesting that around 2,400 children in Surrey will be forced to switch from fee-paying schools as a result of the VAT charge, which takes effect next month.
Surrey’s predicament highlights the regional imbalance in how the tax change may affect school capacity. While the government claims there is sufficient room in the national state school system, it has not accounted for the uneven distribution of private school enrolment. In Surrey, nearly one in five pupils attend independent institutions—significantly higher than the national average of 6 per cent.
A concerned father who requested anonymity told The Telegraph: “No council is equipped for mass mid-year school entrance with no capacity planning. Almost 20 per cent of Surrey pupils go to independent schools and the state system is full.”
Local authorities are legally obliged to provide a school place for every child in their area, but if nearby state schools have no available spots, children may be assigned to distant schools, with councils potentially footing the bill for free transport or even taxis.
The new VAT levy is predicted by the government to force around 35,000 pupils—6 per cent of those in private schools—into the state sector nationwide. However, this one-size-fits-all calculation belies significant local variations. Surrey, with more than 40,000 privately educated pupils, faces a disproportionate surge in demand for state school places.
Clare Curran, a Surrey County Council cabinet member, acknowledged the challenge but maintained that the council would monitor the situation and consider expanding certain state schools if the need arose. She also noted that some schools have not filled all the places they could theoretically offer.
Meanwhile, a parliamentary petition calling for the government to reverse the VAT decision on private schools reached over 100,000 signatures in a week, reflecting widespread concern about the policy’s unintended consequences.
A government spokesman defended the policy, stating: “Ending tax breaks for private schools will raise £1.8bn a year by 2029-30 to help fund public services. Local authorities are responsible for securing enough school places, and we are confident the state sector can handle any additional pupils.”
However, families and educators worry that the sudden influx of private school pupils into a system already under strain could intensify competition for places, push children to travel further for an education, and impose heavy costs on councils.
Read more:
Surrey runs out of state school places for private pupils as VAT raid bites

Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, is poised to rewrite Britain’s planning rules to clear the path for a massive expansion of wind and solar energy, effectively reducing local powers to block or alter green energy projects.
Under proposed changes, wind turbines and solar farms of a certain scale will be classified as “nationally significant infrastructure projects” (NSIPs), granting them the same priority status as airports and major power plants.
As part of Labour’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, any wind farm exceeding 100 megawatts (MW) in capacity—equivalent to about 15-20 turbines—would fall under national jurisdiction. This shift will give unelected planning inspectors, rather than local communities and councils, the final say on whether projects proceed. Solar developments meeting these criteria will also follow the same rules, potentially ending an era of local-level control over large renewable energy schemes.
The Government expects the reforms to unlock around £40 billion of private sector investment every year up to 2030, as Britain aims to decarbonise its power grid and reduce dependence on imported gas. However, the announcement, published on Friday, makes no mention of Miliband’s pre-election pledge to cut household bills by £300 a year, focusing instead on long-term cost stability and energy security.
By fast-tracking approvals, Labour hopes to double onshore wind capacity from 15 gigawatts (GW) to nearly 30GW by 2030, which could mean up to 3,000 new turbines, including taller models of up to 800 feet. Solar capacity is also set to more than triple, from 15GW to about 50GW, potentially covering around 500 square miles of farmland with panels.
Miliband argued the reforms are essential if the UK is to achieve fully decarbonised power by 2030, saying: “A new era of clean electricity offers a positive vision for Britain’s future, with energy security, lower bills in the long run, and good jobs.”
Critics warn that the move strips communities of their right to object, and they are likely to object even more strongly if the Government pushes ahead with measures to limit legal challenges. The plan hints at cutting “bites of the cherry” for High Court reviews, curbing the number of times a project can be challenged once it’s approved.
Regional green energy targets are also expected, requiring each area to host a set amount of wind and solar farms. Such plans are already stirring local discontent: in Cornwall, farmers recently protested against a large-scale solar project, and opposition may intensify as these rules come into force.
Renewable energy developers, largely responsible for meeting the clean power deadline, will invest billions to realize these ambitions. Although some savings in the long run may be possible, much of the initial cost may eventually be recovered through customers’ energy bills.
Claire Coutinho, the shadow energy secretary, accused Miliband of reneging on his promise to cut consumer bills by £300 and warned that rushing toward a 2030 deadline could drive up prices further. “We need cheap, reliable energy and he must put living standards first,” she said.
The announcement comes as recent calm and cloudy weather—described as a “dunkelflaute”—has forced Britain’s grid to rely heavily on gas, highlighting the ongoing challenge of ensuring reliability amid a rapid renewables rollout.
Read more:
Miliband planning shake-up to bypass local opposition in wind farm push

Britain’s farmers are set to collectively lose around £600 million after poor growing conditions produced the second-worst wheat harvest on record.
New figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs reveal that the UK’s wheat crop fell to 11.1 million tonnes in 2024, down from 14 million tonnes the previous year.
This is the lowest level recorded since 2020, when pandemic disruptions took a significant toll on harvest yields. Wet weather, which hampered sowing and stunted crop growth, was a primary factor, though the area of land devoted to wheat also shrank by 11 per cent.
Tom Lancaster from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit said the dismal harvests represent a £600 million blow to British agriculture. “This year’s harvest was a shocker, and climate change is to blame,” he said. “The impacts are only going to worsen unless we reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero.”
Other crops also suffered in the challenging conditions. According to Matt Daragh at the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, “cereal and oilseed rape production in the UK was considerably challenged,” especially for winter-sown varieties. Across wheat, barley, oats, and oilseed rape, production contracted by 13 per cent this year to 20 million tonnes.
The poor harvest numbers land as the farming sector grapples with a series of policy changes and financial pressures. Farmers this week staged protests and blocked roads in an attempt to deter the Government from introducing a new inheritance tax regime that will limit long-standing reliefs for agricultural property. Under the planned changes, farmers will only pass on land tax-free if they survive for seven years after doing so, sparking fears that some may take drastic measures due to the stress and uncertainty.
Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers’ Union, warned MPs that the looming tax changes could push vulnerable farmers to consider taking their own lives. At a time when harvest shortfalls and weather extremes are already squeezing profits, the policy shift could further undermine the resilience of Britain’s farming industry.
Read more:
Farmers face £600m hit as second-worst harvest on record intensifies pressure