Trade sanctions on Israeli settlements attacked as ‘performative’ Politics Trade sanctions imposed by Andy Burnham’s government on Israeli settlements in the West Bank are “performative” and could put the UK’s international standing at threat, shadow foreign secretary Tom Tugendhat has said. On Tuesday, Ed Miliband announced the government would impose sanctions on companies and individuals who finance or help create settlements in Palestinian land, [...]
How the NHS backlog fuelled a private equity gold rush in UK health market Healthcare Private equity firms are circling the UK’s healthcare market as NHS backlogs push a wave of patients towards private providers, experts have said. Britain’s biggest private hospital operator, Spire Healthcare, which operates 38 private hospitals, on Sunday agreed to a £1bn takeover by Toscafund Asset Management. Earlier this year, private healthcare property firm Assura agreed [...]
Healey wants to focus on the future but business is haunted by past mistakes Business John Healey has a reassuring voice. If he revealed dry rot in your house or rang to tell you of suspicious activity on your account, you’d feel oddly calm about it. He’s not a gifted public speaker, but there is an ease and a glimmer of warmth that stands in stark contrast to the earnest [...]
Labour takes narrow lead over Reform as donation row wounds Farage September 8, 2026 Labour has taken a narrow polling lead over Reform UK for the first time in a year and a half as voters warmed to Andy Burnham in September. The latest City AM/Freshwater Strategy poll has shown that Labour now enjoys 26 per cent of the voter share, ahead of Reform UK, which is on 25 [...]
Can John Healey deliver the growth the UK needs? September 7, 2026 The Chancellor John Healey says growth will provide the “pathway out of indebtedness and into prosperity”. But the path is a difficult one to tread, write Mauricio Alencar. When it was announced that John Healey would be delivering a speech in Coventry, it was assumed that he would be visiting Jaguar Land Rovers’s headquarters with [...]
UK government slashes corporate red tape, cutting paperwork ‘longer than The Hobbit’ September 7, 2026 Ministers have announced sweeping reforms to corporate reporting, aiming to save businesses over £450m annually by ditching “Hobbit-length” paperwork. Under the overhaul, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including local family firms, will be exempt from certain reporting forms and audits, aiming to save businesses thousands of pounds and hours of administrative work. The Department for [...]
Healey says growth is ‘pathway out of debt’ but bats away tax questions September 7, 2026 Chancellor John Healey said he will “not speculate” on expected tax rises at his maiden Budget next month as he said growth was at the “heart of fiscal challenges” facing the UK. In his first major speech as Chancellor in Coventry, Healey batted away questions about whether businesses and households were set to face another [...]
UK jobs seekers rise despite recovery in permanent hiring September 7, 2026 Rising redundancies and heightened employment insecurity drove a sharp increase in UK job seekers in August despite the permanent hiring market showing its first signs of recovery in nearly four years. Total staff availability rose at its fastest rate in three months as Brits hunting for roles flooded the market. This influx was triggered by [...]
Healey launches £150m northern scale-up fund September 7, 2026 Chancellor John Healey is to pile £150m into start-ups in the North of England as part of the government’s bid to use devolution to drive economic growth. Healey will announce a new fund designed to back university spin outs and other start-ups in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle. The Chancellor will announce the fund, [...]
Reform UK donations sting ‘looks bad,’ admits Farage September 6, 2026 Nigel Farage has admitted that an undercover investigation into Reform UK’s approach to foreign donations “looks bad”. The Reform leader appeared to soften his position on the donations row engulfing his party but denied it had ever breached electoral law by accepting overseas funding. Farage has been forced to defend his party against allegations that [...]