Starmer to consider ways to make student loans ‘fairer’ February 25, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer has suggested he was open to making the student loans system “fairer” after pressure from Tory leader Kemi Badenoch. During Prime Minister’s Questions, Badenoch pressed Starmer on costly student loan repayments, which she suggested were at a “breaking point” for graduates. The Tories have vowed to abolish real interest rates on plan [...]
Trainline shares tumble after boss disembarks February 25, 2026 It’s the end of the line for the boss of Britain’s best-known rail ticketing app after Trainline chief executive Jody Ford said he would be quitting the business. Ford, who has been at the helm of the FTSE 250 company for more than six years, said he would stay in post until a search to [...]
Reeves urged to cut bank tax as UK competitiveness lags February 25, 2026 Rachel Reeves is facing renewed calls to cut tax on the banking sector after new bombshell research laid bare the competitive disadvantage UK lenders are battling against. The Chancellor spared banks from a highly-anticipated fresh tax raid in the Autumn Budget but a new report – penned by the Association for Financial Markets (AFME) and [...]
Lord Mandelson arrested: What led to police action? February 24, 2026 Peter Mandelson was arrested on Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, but how did we get here? The Metropolitan Police said in a statement on Monday evening that they had arrested a 72-year-old man in Camden. Mandelson was photographed being taken out of his house at 4:30 pm by detectives from the Met’s [...]
Lack of trust in AI tempers Starmer’s tech push February 24, 2026 Britain’s AI sector has entered the year with continued momentum, with its leading heavyweights raising over £20bn in private capital over the past year. According to Startup Coalition’s latest AI index, British AI firms command a combined valuation north of £45bn. Business services accounted for roughly 400 AI startups, attracting £8.3bn, while financial services and [...]
UK unemployment will surpass pandemic high, says JP Morgan February 24, 2026 UK unemployment will brush past its peak in the Covid-19 pandemic, Wall Street’s biggest bank has predicted, as employer’s still feel the brunt of Rachel Reeves’ cash grabs. The rate of unemployed Brits is tipped to reach 5.5 per cent by the late spring, according to a forecast by JP Morgan, which would mark an [...]
UK firms ‘misallocate £10bn’ on HR departments, report says February 23, 2026 The UK’s human resources sector is twice the size of the EU’s and has led to firms misallocating as much as £10bn in capital, new research has suggested. A paper on the cost of diversity and equality agendas on businesses has argued that HR departments have grown at a disproportionate rate, with the UK having [...]
Reform vow to create new ‘wealth fund’ using pension schemes February 23, 2026 Reform UK has pledged to create a new “British Sovereign Wealth Fund” using local government pension schemes as part of Richard Tice’s first policy package as the party’s spokesman for business, trade and energy. Reform has vowed to wrap various arms of government, including housing and energy, into one office that focuses on growth, job [...]
Police arrest Lord Mandelson February 23, 2026 Peter Mandelson has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, weeks after the police launched an investigation into the former Labour peer over his relations with Jeffrey Epstein. The Met police said in a statement they had arrested a 72-year-old man in Camden. Mandelson was pictured being taken out of his house. A [...]
WFH requests could go to tribunal under Labour’s employment reforms February 23, 2026 Lawyers are warning that Labour’s plans to make flexible working the default could place additional legal and administrative burdens on British businesses. Under the proposed changes employees would be able to appeal an employer’s decision to refuse a flexible working request more easily through the Employment Tribunal. Lawyers at TWM Solicitors explained that the employer’s [...]