Uber is extending its UberX Share ride-sharing option to all major UK cities except London by the end of June 2025. The service, piloted in Bristol since November 2024, allows passengers travelling in the same direction to share rides at a discount of up to 20%. UberX Share aims to keep detours under eight minutes on average.

This expansion is part of Uber’s efforts to reduce urban congestion and vehicle emissions by decreasing the number of cars on the road. London is excluded from the initial rollout due to differing local regulations; Uber’s previous shared-ride service there, UberPool, was suspended in March 2020 amid the pandemic. The company plans to introduce UberX Share in London later this year.

A £10 million employment support programme has launched in York and North Yorkshire. The programme is focused on helping individuals with long-term health conditions either re-enter or remain in the workforce. Backed by the central government as part of the Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer initiative, the scheme positions the region as one of eight areas trialling new approaches to tackling economic inactivity.

Over the next year, the programme will assist 1,500 job seekers with health-related barriers, 500 individuals currently employed but needing extra support, and 150 local employers. The initiative responds to a 72% rise in health-related economic inactivity in the region since 2019, well above national trends.

The pilot will offer tailored employment interventions and test innovative delivery methods, including a Work, Health and Skills Interchange hub and a dedicated online platform. Community grants will also be issued to organisations developing grassroots employment solutions.

Better Connect, a not-for-profit based in Knaresborough, is leading delivery. The first to go live is Better Connect’s Rise2Thrive service. The programme will prioritise underserved groups, including 16–24-year-olds, over-50s, and people in rural and coastal areas.

Referrals will be channelled through local health and wellbeing hubs to embed employment support into existing community infrastructure. Outcomes from the pilot are expected to inform future UK-wide employment policy.

Burberry has announced plans to cut around 1,700 jobs globally, approximately 20% of its workforce, as part of a broader strategy to reduce costs and reposition the brand for long-term growth.

The job cuts are expected to be concentrated in office-based roles and include closing a night shift at the company’s trench coat factory in Castleford, West Yorkshire. The reduction will occur over the next two years and contribute significantly to an increased annual savings target of £100 million by FY27, up from a previous target of £40 million.

The restructuring comes as CEO Joshua Schulman, who joined the company in 2023, continues efforts to reverse Burberry’s underperformance in the global luxury market. His turnaround strategy is focused on reinforcing the brand’s British heritage and prioritising core products like trench coats and scarves. These changes follow previous missteps, including overpricing and inconsistent product lines, compounded by broader market weakness.

Burberry reported a stronger-than-expected recent performance, citing increased wholesale orders following its February fashion show. The positive momentum in sales and the cost-cutting announcement triggered an 18% rise in the company’s share price.

This is the company’s fourth leadership change in a decade. Past strategies under different CEOs attempted to elevate Burberry into the top tier of luxury fashion but delivered limited financial results. The current approach aims to stabilise operations, cut excess, and refocus on profitability.

The UK government plans to reduce its London civil service workforce by 12,000 jobs and close 11 central London offices as part of a strategy to cut costs and decentralise operations. The move aims to save approximately £94 million annually by 2032.

New government campuses will open in Manchester and Aberdeen, with additional roles created in cities including Birmingham, Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow, Newcastle, Sheffield, Bristol, Edinburgh, Belfast, York, Darlington, and Tyneside. The Manchester campus will focus on digital innovation and AI, while the Aberdeen site will specialise in energy. A third regional campus location is yet to be confirmed.

This initiative is part of a broader government effort to shrink the civil service, which has grown to over 514,000 staff since 2016. The Cabinet Office plans to cut 2,100 jobs within its department over the next two years, contributing to a 15% reduction in overall government running costs by 2030.

The government has requested departments to submit detailed relocation plans for staff, including senior civil servants, in preparation for an upcoming spending review due in June. Half of the UK-based senior civil servants are expected to be outside London by 2030.

102 Petty France, a major Ministry of Justice hub, and 39 Victoria Street, home to the Department of Health and Social Care, are among the London offices set for closure.

Industry unions have cautiously welcomed the decentralisation plans but emphasise the need for clear communication regarding employee impact and career development opportunities outside London.

Economic projections estimate that relocating and expanding government roles outside London could generate £729 million for local economies by 2030.

Healthcare logistics provider Medequip has secured a new facility in East Yorkshire as part of its national expansion, becoming the first tenant at the £10 million Evolve development in the Melton West business park.

The site was designed to address a regional shortage of modern industrial space and supports Medequip’s entry into the East Riding of Yorkshire and Hull markets. The company was recently awarded a contract to deliver the Community Equipment Loan Service across the area, supporting local authority social care and NHS services.

Medequip operates 27 depots nationwide and supplies mobility and independent-living equipment to 48 local authority areas. The new East Yorkshire depot will enhance its logistical coverage and improve service efficiency in the region.

The Evolve development offers high-specification units focused on sustainability and strong transport connectivity. With Medequip operational, the remaining units at the site are nearing completion and will soon be available.

This move follows Medequip’s recent partnership with Vanaways to streamline fleet procurement and support its growing national footprint.