Labour has not delivered on planning reform, manufacturers say May 26, 2026 UK manufacturers have hit out at the country’s archaic planning system, claiming the Labour government has not delivered on stated aims to back builders over blockers. A new report from industry body Make UK found that almost half of manufacturers (46 per cent) believe the current planning system is still hampering the UK’s economic potential, [...]
The Rest is Investing: Gary Lineker-backed Goalhanger launches venture capital arm May 26, 2026 The UK’s biggest independent podcast group is launching its own venture capital arm, City AM can reveal, as it reinvests the fruits of its success by building stakes in other media startups. The Kennington-based business, which was co-founded by former BBC presenter Gary Lineker and produces The Rest is History, The Rest is Entertainment and [...]
US law firms jostle for highest-stakes London disputes May 25, 2026 US law firms are securing some of the biggest legal disputes in London and positioning themselves at the top of the litigation food chain, according to a new report from consultancy Solomonic. Over 100 US legal outfits have “evidently established themselves as a go-to choice for the most complex, highest-value and most trial-intensive disputes in [...]
Heat wave bottle jobs: Water firms set up emergency supply points in Kent, with tankers on standby May 25, 2026 With temperatures setting records for May over the long bank holiday weekend, emergency supplies of bottled water were sent to two major Kent towns and hundreds of Brits were hit with interruptions to their water supply. Distribution points were set up in Faversham and Ramsgate as a precaution, amid problems with infrastructure in the area. [...]
West Ham United relegation to cost London taxpayers millions May 25, 2026 West Ham United’s relegation from the Premier League to the Championship will cost London taxpayers millions with the capital losing a top flight club once again. West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur went into Sunday’s final round of matches knowing one of them would be relegated and, despite a 3-0 win over Leeds United, it [...]
Is housebuilding in London impossible? May 25, 2026 After its 900-home development in Peckham was blocked, housebuilder Berkeley said it can “no longer invest” in London. Felix Armstrong asks whether development in the capital really has hit a brick wall At the Aylesham Centre in Peckham, south London, shoppers are met with graffitied walls, peeling paint and shuttered retail units. The site began [...]
Collective redundancy reforms could saddle firms with ‘perpetual’ bureaucracy May 25, 2026 The government has been warned against law changes on collective redundancy which businesses say could swamp bosses in more costs and bureaucracy. As part of Labour’s Employment Rights Act, the government is set to require businesses to undertake a consultation of the entire firm whenever they make a certain number of redundancies. Under existing rules, [...]
Ex-KPMG led accounting giant stalls £1bn sale May 25, 2026 One of the UK’s largest accounting firms founded by a former KPMG head has put a £1bn auction on hold despite receiving a wealth of interest from investors. Sumer, a ‘consolidator’ firm that buys majority stakes in smaller independent accounting companies, had hired advisors at boutique advisory Continuum last September to oversee a review on [...]
Palantir ‘should challenge Sadiq Khan in court’ over blocked Met Police contract May 25, 2026 American tech firm Palantir should challenge Sadiq Khan in court after the London mayor blocked a £50m contract with the Metropolitan Police, former government legal officer Sir Michael Ellis has said. Sir Michael Ellis KC, a former Tory attorney general under Liz Truss, said Khan’s decision is “an extraordinary intervention, which may be susceptible to [...]
Premier League’s new financial rules will have winners and losers May 25, 2026 Incoming Squad Coast Ratio rules across the Premier League will breed a new wave of winners and losers, experts have warned. The conclusion of the Premier League season on Sunday – which saw champions Arsenal lift their first title in 22 years – aligned with the end of Profit and Sustainability Rules, where teams could [...]