The UK went into this crisis weak and may emerge from it broken March 25, 2026 Keir Starmer may take every opportunity to stress that the UK isn’t involved in the war and wanted nothing to do with it, but our economy is nevertheless entirely at the mercy of events taking place 4,000 miles away. The prospect of a negotiated settlement (at least anytime soon) feels remote and that uncertainty is [...]
Government can’t fix the jobs crisis alone – employers must step in March 25, 2026 It is companies, not ministers who do the most to create meaningful work. Let’s get to it, says Octavius Black One of Europe’s most successful fintechs has given its employees unlimited access to AI with a simple instruction: build tools that will multiply your productivity by a factor of ten. The results are highly personalised [...]
The manosphere’s dangerous ‘get rick quick’ promise March 25, 2026 Online influencers like those highlighted in Louis Theroux’s Inside the Manosphere documentary are framing trading as an easy route to financial success and masculine dominance. That’s not education, it’s manipulation, says Lewis Crompton The promise of quick wealth has always had a powerful pull. But today it is being repackaged and amplified through social media, [...]
Inheritance tax changes are showing family businesses the door March 25, 2026 From 6 April inheritance tax relief on agricultural and business assets is being slashed. The very businesses that benefit the UK’s economy are the ones that are most exposed to these IHT changes, says Mark Goddard For more than three decades, business relief on inheritance tax has acted as the safety valve which allows entrepreneurs [...]
Has YouGov been barraged by Farage? March 25, 2026 Nigel Farage has never been shy in locking horns with big business. Just ask Dame Alison Rose, whose stint at Natwest came to a sharp halt after a row with Farage over a debanking. The British banker resigned after Natwest admitted to “serious failings” in closing the Reform UK leader’s account at its high-net-worth subsidiary [...]
NAO: The government’s new Financial Transaction Control Framework needs strengthening March 24, 2026 The National Audit Office’s new report assesses whether the government’s new Financial Transaction Control Framework offers value for money to the taxpayer, says Rachel Fenn The government plans to increasingly use financial transactions (FTs) – such as loans to businesses or equity investments – to pursue its policy goals. As at March 2024, the government’s [...]
Regulation isn’t cost-free and not every problem can be fixed with a new rule March 24, 2026 Politicians all too often reach for the regulation lever because “something must be done” – it could be costing businesses £70bn a year, says Cory Berman As of this September, all new building applications over 18 metres must include a second staircase. The rule was introduced after the horrific Grenfell Tower tragedy, to improve building [...]
UK must learn lessons from this crisis – starting with energy policy March 24, 2026 Has the US brought Iran to heel? Or has Iran discovered it has the upper hand? These are urgent questions and the world waits with bated breath for clear answers. Trump claims Iran approached the US, seeking a deal to end the war, and while the Iranians deny this it seems likely that contact has [...]
Advertising Week Europe boss: humans still run the show in the age of AI March 24, 2026 As Advertising Week Europe kicks off, the conversation isn’t about replacing human talent, but about recalibration, says Ruth Mortimer We’ve all read the headlines, the hyperbolic predictions and the confident declarations that everything is about to change. Apparently artificial intelligence is going to change each and every one of our jobs and lives immediately. But [...]
The oil crisis isn’t just financial, it’s physical March 24, 2026 Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz isn’t just an economic shock, it’s harming the physical infrastructure that underpins global markets, says Helen Thomas Five years ago this week, the Ever Given ran aground in the Suez Canal, blocking one of the world’s key waterways for six days. Oil prices jumped six per cent as roughly [...]