Robotaxis are coming – how will London respond? January 7, 2026 The planned launch of autonomous ride services, starting with Uber in 2026, marks a major shift for London’s streets, repositioning mobility as a software-governed infrastructure that will redistribute control over pricing, liability and data, says Paul Armstrong A structural shift is forming on London’s streets, and too many businesses are still treating it as a [...]
Business rates reform must even playing field between high street and online January 6, 2026 Bricks and mortar businesses are being unfairly punished by outdated business rates in need of reform, writes Ros Morgan
Venezuela proves farce of political forecasting January 6, 2026 If history teaches us anything, it's that political forecasters almost always get it wrong. Just look at Venezuela, writes Paul Ormerod.
Banning junk food ads is a big, fat mistake January 6, 2026 An absurd ban on advertising “unhealthy” food is nanny state overreach on steroids, says Oliver Dean Yesterday “adverts for less healthy food and drinks” were banned from being advertised on television before 9pm and online at all times. Supporters of the legislation have heralded it as a major step toward ending unhealthy eating habits across [...]
Starmer promised to ‘rewire the state’ so why is the civil service bigger? January 6, 2026 Civil service headcount has reached a 20-year high, bigger than it was during Brexit or Covid. Yet more proof that this Prime Minister’s only belief is in bigger government, says Eliot Wilson When Sir Keir Starmer appointed a new cabinet secretary and head of the civil service at the end of 2024, he made a [...]
2026 will be all about hard power January 6, 2026 The season of peace on earth and good will to all men did not last long, and while I’ll shed no tears at seeing a corrupt dictator snatched from his lair it’s fair to say that 2026 is off to an uneasy start. The market response to Donald Trump’s audacious swoop on Venezuela has been [...]
I’m an AI expert, so how did I get gaslit by ChatGPT? January 6, 2026 If Lewis Liu, AI founder and safety expert, was left questioning himself then we’re all at risk of losing our sense of reality and the diversity of thought to convincing, lowest-common-denominator Generative AI output Last month on Jimmy Fallon’s show, Sam Altman said he asks ChatGPT about every minor detail for raising his baby: “I [...]
No prosperity without national security January 5, 2026 National security is the cornerstone on which all successful economies are built. It is the protective layer around both our society and our economy, and it is what enables economic activity to thrive, says Brandon Lewis The UK is facing the greatest threat to its national security in the past 30 years. There are Russian [...]
London’s future will be determined by choices, not rhetoric January 5, 2026 2026 will be the year the City moves from post-Brexit design to delivery, says Chris Hayward As the new year begins, London’s position as a leading global financial centre is often framed in binary terms: rise or decline. That is no bad thing. Competition sharpens performance, and financial centres that assume their leading position rarely [...]
The ultimate Sunday Scaries: How to cope with the January return to work January 4, 2026 Forget Blue Monday, the Sunday before going back to work after the Christmas break may be the scariest day of all. Here's how to cope.