Next boss Lord Wolfson in calls for ‘renewed centre right’ July 19, 2025 Lord Wolfson, the boss of retail giant Next, has called for a “renewed centre right” which champions the free markets’ importance in raising living standards. Wolfson, a Conservative life peer and prominent supporter of Brexit, argued a “commitment to liberty” should form the basis of the right-wing movement in the UK. “This classical liberalism stands [...]
How can British businesses prepare for tariffs, and does Brexit help? July 19, 2025 The Insight in 15 is a new podcast from professional services firm KPMG offering a fresh perspective on major issues for business leaders. The 10-part series will cover a range of topics by cutting to the chase, setting out the risks and opportunities, and providing insights those at the top of big businesses can put [...]
Is it high time to buy in super-prime London? July 15, 2025 London’s super-prime market has been suffering from a glut of supply in the wake of damaging decision-making from successive governments. Ali Lyon asks, is the tide beginning to turn? To take a walk down Mayfair’s historic Upper Grosvenor Street is to be confronted by a quiet, but dramatic, changing-of-the-guard afoot in one of London’s most [...]
Brussels’ tobacco ban risks fuelling illegal immigration June 28, 2025 A proposed EU tobacco tax hike risks fuelling organised crime, illicit trade, and people smuggling across Europe and into the UK, says Tom Pursglove Recent headlines suggest that up to 50,000 illegal migrants could cross the Channel this year – a figure that provokes a palpable sense of dread amongst the British public. People have [...]
Starmer thanks business for shouldering tax burden June 26, 2025 Keir Starmer has thanked the British business community for bearing the brunt of his government’s tax raid in last year’s Budget, acknowledging he had asked a lot of UK plc since entering office. Addressing the British Chambers of Commerce’s (BCC) annual conference, the Prime Minister said the £23bn hike to employer national insurance contributions (NICS) [...]
UK economy rebound hopes gather as City ‘ready to invest’ June 17, 2025 The UK economy could rebound May as a new business survey has signalled “tentative hope” that Chancellor Reeves can deliver higher growth. According to Lloyds’ latest sector tracker, two more areas of the economy saw output expand compared to data for April, a month which recorded a 0.3 per cent contract in GDP per official [...]
Are Brexit Britain and Carney’s Canada a dream match? June 17, 2025 As Carney balances political principles with market realities, post-tariff Canada could learn from Brexit Britain, writes Michael Martins.
Starmer’s EU deal risks stifling the UK’s thriving gene editing sector May 30, 2025 Aligning with EU on genetically modified food and agricultural products will create a regulatory cliffedge for a sector which has investors queuing and in which Britain has the chance to lead the world, says Matthew Bowles Last week, Sir Keir Starmer unveiled plans that could risk quietly derailing one of Britain’s fastest-growing scientific sectors, all [...]
British ports request £120m for ‘white elephant’ Brexit border posts May 20, 2025 British ports are demanding £120m in compensation after being forced to invest millions in post-Brexit border control posts rendered “obsolete” by Keir Starmer’s new EU deal. Monday’s UK-EU trade deal committed to removing border checks on plant, animal and food imports from the EU member states. The deal was welcomed by the port industry, but [...]
Trio of trade deals puts UK in better position “than any other country,” Rachel Reeves says May 20, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said the UK is now in a better place on trade “than any other country in the world” after securing new trade agreements with India, the US and the EU this month. Reeves said the agreements have “come along like buses,” and that the government’s next targets for trade deals are [...]