Richard Branson says UK must ‘make it easier’ to be an entrepreneur Entrepreneurship Sir Richard Branson has called on policy makers to do more to support and “champion” British entrepreneurs. The founder of Virgin Group, who launched his iconic business selling records in 1970, said the UK must go further to create an environment where entrepreneurs want to set up and run a business. Writing in City AM, [...]
Business will be the judge on whether Andy Burnham can “regain stability” Opinion If Andy Burnham is serious about being a friend to business he should commit to no new business taxes, says Alan Vallance When every new government begins – and there have been a few in recent years – the goodwill they start with is already a diminishing return. Businesses understand that no Prime Minister can [...]
Four charts revealing scale of Andy Burnham’s economic challenge Economics Andy Burnham has harboured ambitions to be Prime Minister for over a decade. But the economy he is inheriting will take the shine off his lofty hopes – just look at these four charts. As he stepped out onto Downing Street for the first time as Prime Minster, Andy Burnham allowed himself to break out [...]
Burnham’s cheerfulness could turn the economy around July 9, 2026 Confidence is an elusive but essential determinant of the course of the economy ignored by Reeves' doomsterism. Burnham could change that.
Businesses can’t keep waiting for political stability July 7, 2026 We’ve created a hidden economy of underemployment. Thousands of highly skilled, self-employed professionals don’t appear in the unemployment figures because, technically, they have work. But many are quietly living off savings while they wait for businesses to regain the confidence to make decisions, says Aceil Haddad I was so annoyed watching the political drama unfold [...]
BCC’s Haviland: Burnham must make growth his number one priority June 24, 2026 Andy Burnham must place economic growth at the heart of his premiership and promise to bring down costs for businesses if he wants the Labour party to win back the trust of the private sector, the boss of Britain’s largest industry body will say. In a speech at the British Chambers of Commerce’s annual conference, [...]
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 [...]
UK has ‘lost control’ of its international narrative, says Barclays June 2, 2026 Barclays has laid bare the investment barriers facing the UK in a new report that states the nation has “lost control of its international narrative” leading to an impact on foreign capital. The banking giant has called for a drastic shake-up of how the UK attracts international capital, following its share narrowing to seven per [...]
Dr Martens shares rocket after kicking down costs May 19, 2026 Dr Martens shares rocketed in early morning trading on Tuesday, after sharp cost-cutting across the business delivered significant profit growth. Shares in the shoemaker soared 8.5 per cent in early trading to 69.8p, with shares up 22.1 per cent over the last year, following its latest annual results. But the share price remains down 7.4 [...]
Good policing is the unsung pillar of growth May 18, 2026 Market confidence in the City is inseparable from its security, and the police are a core enabler of that security, writes Chris Hayward.