Rothschild aiding bid to take Formula 1 to South Africa September 22, 2026 Investment bank Rothschild is working with a consortium on a £300m bid to see Formula 1 return to South Africa for the first time since 1993. Appetite has grown for the world’s leading motorsport series to return to the African continent, with this Cape Town bid following proposals from Johannesburg and Rwanda. The consortium is [...]
OpenAI and Anthropic summoned to parliament on fears UK AI rules ‘not fit for future’ September 22, 2026 OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Deepmind and Meta have been summoned to an urgent parliamentary hearing on AI safety, as MPs warn Britain’s rules around the technology are “not yet fit for the future”. Liam Byrne, chair of the Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee, has invited senior representatives from all four AI giants to appear before [...]
Burnham: Rejoining the EU is a debate ‘for another day’ September 22, 2026 Andy Burnham has refused to rule out launching a bid for the UK to rejoin the EU, saying the debate is “for another day.” Speaking to reporters in New York at the United Nations summit on Tuesday, the Prime Minister said his priority was to “build on the good work that Keir [Starmer] did in [...]
Premier Inn owner Whitbread faces board pressure from activist investor September 22, 2026 Premier Inn owner Whitbread is facing pressure to hand a board seat to an influential activist investor after it voiced “growing concern” with the firm’s turnaround plans. The FTSE 100 hospitality giant said in April it would slash thousands of jobs and sell off all of its restaurants in a bid to keep up with [...]
How inheritance tax is becoming a ‘bill for ordinary households’ September 22, 2026 Inheritance tax receipts have hit a new high as frozen thresholds and rising property values drag more households into the tax net. Inheritance tax (IHT) receipts have hit £3.8bn so far this financial year, surpassing the £3.7bn recorded at the same point last year, according to the latest data from HMRC. Total receipts reached £8.5bn [...]
Thousands of jobs at risk as Ineos suspends operations at huge UK chemicals plants September 22, 2026 Thousands of jobs have been put at risk after Ineos suspended operations at three of the UK’s biggest chemicals plants, as owner Jim Ratcliffe took aim at “ridiculously high” energy prices in the UK. The three plants which are being idled produce the raw materials for pharmaceuticals, clothing, cosmetics, detergents, construction materials and military explosives [...]
Claire’s Accessories administrators hand creditors nearly £10m bill September 22, 2026 The administrators of collapsed jewellery retailer Claire’s Accessories have billed nearly £10m for their work, with bosses charging more than £1,500 per hour. The retail chain collapsed for the second time in January, just months after private equity firm Modella Capital bought it out of administration last September. The double collapse of Claire’s looks set [...]
Burnham and Trump strike UK-US defence AI deal September 22, 2026 Britain will link its military AI taskforce with its US counterpart under a new defence pact, deepening transatlantic tech ties as AI plays a growing role on the battlefield. The UK’s Defence Rapid AI Delivery Taskforce will work with the US Department of War’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office to accelerate the deployment of [...]
Prem Rugby announces record deal with key partner September 22, 2026 Prem Rugby this morning announced a record deal with ball provider Gilbert that took their partnership beyond 30 years. The agreement, confirmed ahead of this weekend’s opening round of fixtures, is the longest deal agreed between the two organisations. Its value was not disclosed. Prem Rugby’s Kelly Cooke said that “a partnership of this length [...]
‘Worryingly large’: Labour’s debt cost racks up to £200bn September 22, 2026 More than £200bn has now been spent on covering government debt since Labour came into power, official figures show, reflecting the pressure bond traders have put on public finances in the last two years. Analysis of public finances data by City AM shows that debt interest payable to the government’s lenders in bond markets since [...]