Business groups warn against axing ‘fundamental’ red tape watchdog Regulation Some of Britain’s largest business groups have urged the business secretary not to scrap a body responsible for scrutinising business regulation, saying it plays a “fundamental” role evaluating the impact of red tape on British firms. The intervention comes as the Department for Business confirmed to City AM that ministers are “considering the role” of [...]
Lex Greensill seeks to throw out director ban Legal The government’s bid to disqualify the boss of collapsed lender Greensill Group from directing companies in the UK for 12 years should be thrown out as there “cannot be a fair trial”, the High Court has been told. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) began proceedings against Lex Greensill in 2024 after the Insolvency [...]
Former Amazon boss to keep CMA chair Markets Doug Gurr has been confirmed as the government’s preferred candidate to continue in the role of chair of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Gurr, a former boss of Amazon UK, was parachuted into the role on an interim basis last January, but will now complete a full five-year term. Business Secretary Peter Kyle said [...]
Labour scraps Audit Reform Bill to ‘avoid’ costs on firms January 20, 2026 The Audit Reform and Corporate Governance Bill, added into Labour’s first King Speech, is now being scrapped to “avoid significant new costs to firms”. The reform was first raised in 2018 following the collapse of Carillon, but has been on and off the table ever since. The Bill was shelved by the previous government in November 2023 [...]
Ministers to change UK merger rules in bid to speed up deals January 18, 2026 Whitehall is preparing a fundamental reset of the UK’s merger control regime, as ministers seek to accelerate deal-making and strip back some red tape for businesses. The Department for Business and Trade is expected to outline plans this week that would significantly change how the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) reviews takeovers and sector-wide competition [...]
New business secretary should put deregulation top of his agenda September 10, 2025 Peter Kyle becomes the tenth business secretary in as many years – he should go where his predecessors didn’t and genuinely cut red tape, says Joe Hill As Westminster calms down from a heady weekend of reshuffle-watching, new ministers will be getting to grips with their new briefs. It’s not an enviable task – when [...]
UK class actions worth £135bn but landmark losses raises questions over regime August 11, 2025 The popularity of class actions continues to rise as the UK remains one of Europe's most active jurisdiction with the total value of cases in the UK surpassing £135bn in 2024.
British Business Bank set on delivering Labour’s growth ambition June 28, 2025 Arguably one of the biggest winners from Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ latest spending splurge, the British Business Bank had its lending capacity beefed up and pledged to back the UK’s innovators with its expanded range. The bank had its funding capacity increased to £25.6bn in the Spending Review from near £15.6bn as it targets eight key [...]
What Invest 2035 will mean for UK professional services June 9, 2025 When the UK government announces its Invest 2035 on Wednesday, law and professional services will be a key component of its 10-year growth plan
Nissan: UK taxpayers to guarantee £1bn loan amid Sunderland plant uncertainty May 28, 2025 The UK taxpayer is to guarantee a £1bn loan to Nissan as part of a major restructuring of the struggling carmaker. The Japanese firm announced plans earlier this month to axe 20,000 jobs globally and shut down seven factories. Confirmation of the restructuring piled uncertainty onto the future of its Sunderland facility, which is the [...]