War and tax: How the UK economy could get knocked off course August 13, 2026 Labour ministers may have some reason to be cheerful about the UK economy’s performance. Torsten Bell, the pensions minister who has long desired top jobs in the Treasury, lambasted “gloomsters” shortly after official data revealed growth in the second quarter of the year was 0.4 per cent. Even Rachel Reeves, who has remained largely silent [...]
Meta glasses court ban sparks privacy warning for City businesses August 13, 2026 Meta’s controversial smart glasses have been banned from courthouses across England, prompting lawyers to sound the alarm for businesses about growing legal risks surrounding the wearable tech. Earlier this week, it was revealed that His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) had confirmed that camera glasses were banned from its sites across England and Wales. [...]
Not enough bums in Brum: Why so many empty seats at European Athletics Championships? August 13, 2026 Britain loves sport yet ticket sales for the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham have been slow. Ed Warner wonders why. British sport has a capacity problem or a bandwidth one, depending on which way you want to look at it. Too many seats in too many venues with too few bums to fill them. Or [...]
The Works braces for boardroom battle as activist investor pushes for more control August 13, 2026 Discount retailer The Works has been engulfed in a boardroom drama as a notorious activist investor pushes to install a retired private equity partner as a director. The retailer, which sells toys and arts and crafts, warned on Thursday that the attempted coup could “create unnecessary distraction [and] risk derailing” the board’s growth strategy. Kelso, [...]
Stamp duty on shares is ‘biggest handbrake’ says UK bank chief August 13, 2026 The boss of a London-listed bank and former Labour party donor has called for stamp duty on shares to be ditched in the Autumn Budget to boost trading from retail investors. Ian Corfield, the boss of Secure Trust Bank, told City AM one of the firm’s “biggest challenges is trying to generate liquidity into the [...]
Could a ‘land blocking’ rule change spell danger for Aldi and Lidl? August 13, 2026 German discounters Aldi and Lidl have rapidly taken control of the UK’s budget grocery market in recent years. But could new curbs on ‘land blocking’ slow their insurgency? Only a few decades ago, Lidl and Aldi were oddities. By 2008, the German discount supermarkets had been in the UK for more than 10 years but [...]
Championship club QPR selling stadium naming rights… on LinkedIn August 13, 2026 Championship club Queens Park Rangers are selling the naming rights to their Loftus Road stands on LinkedIn. The second tier club, based in the capital, says they’re offering “an exciting opportunity” to sponsor QPR, stating that a “company-branded stand would become part of the visual backdrop of QPR matches”. Loftus Road’s four stands all currently [...]
Disney+ snaps up Gary Neville’s The Overlap and new Wayne Rooney hosted show August 13, 2026 Gary Neville’s The Overlap media empire has struck a deal to stream his Stick To Football and a new show co-hosted by Wayne Rooney and Mark Goldbridge on Disney+. The agreement will see Disney+ carry 40 episodes of Stick To Football – the popular football discussion hosted by Neville alongside fellow ex-pros Jamie Carragher, Jill [...]
Four South Korean whiskies to try today August 13, 2026 Whether it’s through K-Pop, Squid Game or Korean street food, you’ve probably heard about, or indulged in, the rise in popularity of South Korean lifestyle culture in the UK. And the world of whisky certainly hasn’t been immune to this trend. Since the 2025 win for Korea’s first single malt whisky – Ki One Unicorn [...]
Bingo halls at risk if Burnham hikes taxes, Mecca Bingo owner warns August 13, 2026 Britain’s “much-loved” bingo halls are at risk if the Andy Burnham commits to a £460m hike on gambling taxes, the owner of Grosvenor Casinos and Mecca Bingo has said. Richard Harris, chief executive of Rank Group, said on Thursday: “Tax proposals from anti-gambling campaigners continue to cast clouds over a regulated industry that is proud [...]