Auto-enrolment closed the gap but more needs to be done, says pension minister February 3, 2026 The introduction of auto-enrolment in 2012 helped boost pension savings, but more needs to be done to encourage people to save for retirement, a leading government official has said. Speaking at the Association of British Insurers conference, pensions minister Torsten Bell acknowledged the importance of auto enrolment, with savings rates for eligible workplace employees doubling [...]
Guardiola calls out Premier League clubs for not winning trophies February 3, 2026 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has called out big Premier League clubs for not winning trophies despite spending more over the last five years. After the January transfer window closed on Monday – which saw the 20 Premier League clubs spend around £400m – City’s net spend over the past five years sat at £396m [...]
Criminal investigation launched into Mandelson’s Downing Street ‘leaks’ February 3, 2026 A criminal investigation has been launched into Peter Mandelson, according to reports. The news comes after the scandal-hit politician decided to step down from the House of Lords following fresh pressure on the Labour veteran after the latest bombshell drop of the Epstein files. The Lord Speaker said on Tuesday afternoon Mandelson would exit the [...]
Big banks bet on gold rally as metals channel meme stock February 3, 2026 It’s all over for doughnuts and cameras as social media’s retail investors set their sights on a new favourite investment meme. Precious metals’ start to 2026 has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. Gold rose 65 per cent last year, hitting multiple fresh records as geopolitical tensions flared. Investors flocked to the traditional safe-haven asset [...]
Bank of England should hold interest rates, City AM Shadow MPC says February 3, 2026 The Bank of England should hold interest rates to get inflation back down to two per cent, City AM’s Shadow Monetary Policy Committee has said, as policymakers find insufficient evidence to lower borrowing costs. The nine economists, who responded independently from their respective organisations, said recent data on price growth should be treated cautiously by [...]
Cricket lawmakers MCC relax bat rules amid worldwide run on willow February 3, 2026 The soaring cost of English willow has forced cricket’s lawmakers the MCC to rewrite their rule book and allow the use of previously-banned laminated bats. Top-of-the-range Grade 1 bats have more than doubled in price to around £1,000 over the last decade, fuelling fears that swathes of would-be cricketers are being priced out. Those concerns [...]
AI-driven workforce fuels private equity surge in sports February 3, 2026 The influx of businesses investing in AI is a key factor driving the surge in private equity (PE) within the leisure and sports sector, as sports is the new luxury. Cleary Gottlieb partner Tihir Sarkar explained to City AM, “With day-to-day activities being taken over by AI, there’s going to be a lot more time for participation [...]
Non-dom exodus: Top London dealmaker quits UK for Switzerland February 3, 2026 One of London’s most successful private equity dealmakers has left the UK for Switzerland, adding to the wave of wealthy individuals quitting Britain in the wake of the government’s crackdown on wealth. Kurt Bjorklund, the executive chair of Permira who until recently was the buyout giant’s managing partner, relocated to the low-tax jurisdiction in the [...]
Starmer hands police details on Mandelson alleged leaks to Epstein February 3, 2026 Keir Starmer has shared government assessments on Lord Peter Mandelson’s alleged leaking of sensitive information to Jefrrey Epstein with the police after it was confirmed that several parties, including Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, had referred the matter to the authorities. The Cabinet Office shared details on emails from the former business secretary to the paedophile [...]
Yoghurt giant Muller takes on HMRC over corporation tax in legal battle February 3, 2026 The makers behind Muller Corner and Muller Rice are taking the UK tax authorities to court over a long-running dispute about corporation tax. Muller UK and Ireland Group, Muller Dairy UK, Robert Wiseman and Sons, and TM UK Production are in a battle with HMRC over whether a company can claim tax breaks on ‘goodwill’ [...]