Business feels ‘beaten up’, Burnham ally says October 14, 2026 Lord Jim O’Neill, one of Andy Burnham’s closest allies, has warned businesses feel “beaten up” by government as he urged the Prime Minister to spare British companies from another punishing raid at the Budget. Speaking to a group of MPs at the Treasury Select Committee, O’Neill doubled down on his opposition to capital gains tax [...]
Caffè Nero muscles into booming high-protein drinks market October 14, 2026 Caffè Nero is looking to tap into the booming high-protein drinks market through a new deal with Manchester-based protein shake maker Myprotein. The coffee chain, which operates over 600 cafes across the UK, said two new high-protein lattes would be rolled out across its entire estate in partnership with the THG-owned fitness brand. Neil Mistry, [...]
Bailey demands crackdown on ‘downright criminal’ social media fraud October 14, 2026 Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has called on social media giants to take greater responsibility for online fraud, warning that the spread of scams and AI-generated content risks undermining trust in the financial system. Speaking at the International Monetary Fund’s annual meetings in Bangkok on Wednesday, Bailey criticised tech platforms for facing little accountability [...]
‘It’s hard to call the peak’: Wall Street banks land $22bn trading haul October 14, 2026 Traders at Wall Street’s biggest banks kept their blockbuster winning streak alive in the third-quarter as they made hay on volatility triggered by the war in Iran and swinging AI stocks. Equity trading divisions at the big six US banks – JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo – [...]
Poundland hits out at ‘speculation’ after union criticises owner October 14, 2026 Poundland has hit out at the “speculation” engulfing the company’s sale after a retail workers’ union dubbed its US owner an “absolute disgrace”. Usdaw, the union representing shop workers, said earlier this week that it has “deep concerns” about US investment firm Gordon Brothers’s sale of the business. Bally Auluk, Usdaw’s national officer, claimed Poundland’s [...]
Government’s AI tool eases probation work amid prison overcrowding measures October 14, 2026 The government introduced an AI transcription tool designed to help probation officers focus on reducing reoffending, as a second wave of prisoners were released early from overcrowded prisons. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) developed an AI transcription tool, ‘Justice Transcribe’, to help probation officers record meeting notes. After [...]
Burnham complains Jackdaw and Rosebank approval delayed by ‘government process’ October 14, 2026 Approval for more oil and gas drilling at the North Sea sites Jackdaw and Rosebank have been delayed by “government process” and lengthy bureaucratic wrangling, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said. Burnham told MPs that he would take a “pragmatic approach” on oil and gas drilling amid calls from energy bosses for drilling to go [...]
Heathrow rejects calls to put affordability at heart of third runway debate October 14, 2026 Affordability should not be included in the scorecard that the government sets third runway developers, Heathrow’s operations chief has told MPs, rejecting industry concerns that costs could spiral after ministers rubber stamp a design. Helen Elsby, the chief solutions officer at Heathrow Airport Limited, said the project’s frontrunner was “absolutely aligned with the criticality of [...]
Oxford AI chip startup raises $125m to tackle data centre power crunch October 14, 2026 Oxford-based chip startup Salience Labs has raised $125m (£94m) from investors, including AMD and Intel, as the race to build AI data centres puts growing pressure on electricity supplies. The funding round, led by Bullhound Capital, is set to help the British firm scale production of its photonic chips, which use light rather than electrical [...]
Burnham denies Man City chiefs raised Premier League charges October 14, 2026 Prime Minister Andy Burnham has denied Manchester City representatives raised the Premier League charges against the club during his past meetings with them. The former Mayor of Manchester was forced to address accusations that he had fudged the truth after reports this week suggested meetings with senior Manchester City figures, notably chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, [...]