Banning non-competes is a hollow victory — firms will just ramp up gardening leave October 14, 2026 The Prime Minister revealed last Friday that the government will curb non-compete clauses in employment contracts, a move that has raised some eyebrows in the City. But despite business pushback over yet another overhaul of employment laws, City lawyers have already been 10 steps ahead with alternatives, Maria Ward-Brennan writes. Andy Burnham, in his speech [...]
The urgent case for massive welfare reform is now impossible to ignore October 14, 2026 By accident or design, Britain is facing a moment of reckoning when it comes to welfare spending. The issue serves as a major fault line in Westminster, with the Tories pledging to slash the benefits bill while Andy Burnham vows there will be “no crude cuts” to the hundreds of billions of pounds spent across [...]
Exclusive: Healey looks to lower business costs of hiring young people October 14, 2026 Chancellor John Healey is drawing up measures to slash the cost of hiring under-25-year-olds at the Budget, City AM understands, as the government looks to tackle the crisis of youth unemployment and ease pressures facing businesses. A move to tackle the number of young people not in employment, education or training (Neets) by reducing hiring [...]
Retailers press Healey to cut high street taxes at crunch Downing St meeting October 13, 2026 Retailers urged John Healey to “reverse the damage” of rising high street taxes as the Chancellor met industry bosses on Tuesday. Top retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer pressed Healey on business rates and youth unemployment but the Chancellor stopped short of confirming any Budget measures. Healey hosted high street bosses at Number [...]
Burnham speaks with all the confidence of a mayor but without the gravitas of a Prime Minister October 13, 2026 Andy Burnham earned his spurs as a great communicator on the back of a few summer TikToks, but is the shine coming off just a couple of months into the new job? While some people still appreciate the supposedly down to earth ‘tell it like it is’ approach, there can be no denying that the [...]
Most voters – and Londoners – back third runway at Heathrow October 13, 2026 Almost half of the British electorate back a third runway at Heathrow airport, with Londoners among the biggest supporters, according to fresh research. City AM/Freshwater Strategy polling has shown that 46 per cent of voters support a new runway at Heathrow. The data revealed that 20 per cent opposed the expansion, while 32 per cent [...]
‘Economic anaesthetic’ of welfare spending dwarfed capital investment by £1.1 trillion October 12, 2026 Spending on benefits for working-age people dwarfed investment in key infrastructure such as schools and trains by £1.1 trillion between 2006 and 2025, new research has found. The Centre for Social Justice said that spending on disability support and other forms of welfare racked up to £1.1 trillion more than capital expenditure in the same [...]
Brexit U-turn? Burnham says he is taking ‘pragmatic’ approach on EU October 12, 2026 Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he will take a “pragmatic” approach to boosting relations with the European Union just a fortnight after he suggested he could explore a full return to the world’s largest economic bloc. Burnham told MPs on Monday that a summit with EU leaders would take place on 20 November, where [...]
‘Moral hazard’ – Lawyers warn SFO whistleblowing rewards could backfire October 12, 2026 The UK government has launched a consultation on reforming whistleblowing laws, seeking to give the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) powers to reward individuals who report economic crime, a move experts view with scepticism. On Monday, business secretary Jonathan Reynolds and minister for the future of work, Kate Dearden, revealed the government’s plans for a “whistleblowing [...]
Bank of England targeted in inflation installation stunt October 12, 2026 The Bank of England has been targeted in an inflation installation stunt in the centre of the City of London. Over the weekend, a satirical art piece appeared across the road from the central bank’s office on Threadneedle Street. A black Canon printer, sitting atop a decorative silver-beaded pedestal surrounded by a stream of banknotes, [...]