Peers warn ‘passive’ Treasury not aware of private credit risks Regulation The Treasury is being too passive about the risks posed to the economy by the rapid growth of private credit in the UK, according to an influential group of peers who accused ministers of “handing out the donkey work” of overseeing the sector to regulators. In fresh report examining the systemic risk posed by private [...]
Breakthrough for Leeds United after key Elland Road stadium decision Sport Business Leeds United’s Elland Road is set to for major redevelopment after approval was granted for the expansion of the club’s West Stand. The Premier League club, who were promoted last summer, submitted plans to Leeds City Council last year that would see their stadium’s capacity expand from 37,645 to approximately 53,000. And on Thursday a [...]
Financial services suffer ‘rapid’ fall in business Economics Financial services are suffering from a “rapid” fall in business activity, new survey data has shown, pointing to investors’ struggles to revive a spluttering UK economy. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI)‘s figures suggested financial services companies experienced a decline in business volumes and profitability at the end of last year, hitting confidence across the [...]
Pension schemes to go under the spotlight in a bid to end poor value January 8, 2026 UK pension schemes could find themselves thrust under the spotlight, as industry bodies look to get savers better offers and quality of service. Schemes will need to publish clear data on their performance, costs and quality of services under proposals brought forward by bodies including the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and The Pensions Regulator (TPR). [...]
Government urged to quit X following ‘appalling’ Grok scandal January 8, 2026 Keir Starmer has been urged to pull his government off Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, after a former cabinet minister dubbed the platform ‘unconscionable’. Labour MP Louise Haigh, former transport secretary, has warned that her party and the government should entirely quit the site. This pressure comes in the wake of this week’s reports [...]
HSBC to cough up £230m over dividend tax-fraud claims January 8, 2026 European banking juggernaut HSBC is set to cough up nearly £230m to settle an investigation relating to tax-fraud claims. The FTSE 100 titan was accused of helping foreign investors evade taxes on dividends through a sophisticated financial manoeuvre known as ‘cum-cum’ trading. This relates to a series of transactions between 2014 and 2019, which were [...]
Ministers to offer business rates relief to pubs after backlash January 8, 2026 Panicked ministers are poised to water down the business rates bombshell faced by pubs, after an aggressive backlash from the industry saw over a thousand landlords ban Labour MPs from their premises. The government is expected to announce an overhaul to the way it calculates business rates for pubs within days, which it says will [...]
AI caution and uninvested capital: Private equity predictions for 2026 January 8, 2026 Private equity deals will “take longer” this year as firms continue to ramp up their use of a controversial tactic to hold onto assets for longer in order to maintain their value. Partners at law firm White and Case expect general partners to continue to hold onto a significant number of assets which were originally [...]
Vitality posts healthy profit as revenue passes £1bn January 8, 2026 Health and life insurer Vitality surged back into the black after its revenue passed the £1bn mark during its latest financial year. The London-headquartered business has posted a pre-tax profit of £48m for the 12 months to 30 June 2025, new accounts filed with Companies House show. The total comes after it fell to a [...]
Pubs face ruin because Labour simply does not understand business January 8, 2026 Whether it’s your after work favourite or your home local – whether you drink or not – everyone has a favourite pub. But the sector is facing a crisis – and we know whose fault it is. We also know the challenges facing British pubs reflect a bigger problem in the relationship between this government [...]