Brexit 10 years on: Business does not want a referendum rerun, says CBI chief June 23, 2026 British businesses are focused on the future and do not want a rerun of the Brexit referendum, the leader of the UK’s largest business lobby group has warned. Speaking to the FT, CBI director-general Rain Newton-Smith, on the tenth anniversary of the referendum, stated that despite the economic pain of leaving the EU, businesses don’t [...]
On this day: Brits vote in referendum that changes everything June 23, 2026 The Brexit referendum was 10 years ago today. A decade on, very little has been resolved, says Eliot Wilson There have only ever been three UK-wide referendums. Appealing directly to the electorate on a single issue through a plebiscite fits awkwardly with parliamentary government, as Enoch Powell told the House of Commons in 1972: “The [...]
‘Not all sunlit uplands’: Pub bosses weigh in on whether Brexit leaves a bitter taste June 23, 2026 A decade on from the referendum, has Brexit left a bitter taste? The bosses of the UK’s biggest pub firms have their say Notoriously outspoken, the bosses of the UK’s leading pub brands are usually shouting about the same thing: the tax and regulatory burden threatening watering holes across the country. But, on the anniversary [...]
Burnham must walk a tightrope on his ascent to Downing Street June 19, 2026 After Andy Burnham cleared the path for a run at the Labour leadership with an emphatic win in the Makerfield by-election. Maurício Alencar sketches out what an Andy Burnham government could look like – and the balancing act he faces on the way there Despite romping home to victory in the Makerfield by-election on Friday, [...]
Andy Haldane: Britain after Brexit June 18, 2026 The UK economy is suffering from deep-seated psychological scarring caused by a sequence of crises, which necessitates a strategic re-imagining of the state’s role in generating growth, says Andy Haldane We are fast approaching the ten-year anniversary of Brexit – an event that is sure to leave a large and lasting scar on our economy, [...]
The EU has regulated itself out of the AI race but the UK is still in the game June 16, 2026 After months of debate and final negotiations that stretched long into the night, EU officials were jubilant when, as 2023 came to a close, the European Parliament reached an agreement on what would become the EU’s AI Act; a sprawling legal framework designed to regulate artificial intelligence across all member states. The EU’s top officials [...]
Starmer agrees investment deal with Japan as EU deal questioned June 13, 2026 The UK government has agreed an £18bn investment deal with Japan in a bid to boost post-Brexit international ties but questions are now looming over Sir Keir Starmer’s “reset” deal with the EU. Starmer said “landmark agreements” with Japan on technology and life sciences would lift the UK economy and improve trade with the fourth [...]
Gulf trade deal: Britain should learn from the success of Dubai June 12, 2026 The free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council is a model of post-Brexit success, says James Price In 211BC, when Hannibal was camped outside the walls of Rome, Livy tells us that the ground his army occupied came up for auction in the city. Such was Rome’s confidence in its own future that it [...]
Is it even possible to regulate ‘misinformation’? June 10, 2026 It's easy to call for crackdowns on 'misinformation', but how do you regulate such an amorphous term, asks Paul Ormerod.
Services industry falters as activity plummets amid Iran conflict fallout June 8, 2026 The UK’s services sector’s economic activity and performance declined sharply last month as fallout from the Iran conflict continues to impact businesses, according to new figures. According to data on the latest business trends from accountancy and advisory firm BDO, a drop in sales and fragile client confidence led to a drop in the services [...]