Regulator wins decade-long pricing tussle with Pfizer Legal The UK competition watchdog has won permission to appeal in a case against US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer after a long-running legal battle over allegations of excessive pricing, overturning a previous decision by the Tribunal. The court said the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), was “wrong to set aside the [Competition and Market’s Authority’s] decision” in relation to [...]
Starmer scrambles to make savings in bid to boost defence spending Politics Keir Starmer is planning on making cuts across the government in a bid to fund his long awaited Defence Investment Plan. The prime minister will make targeted slashes to transport and net zero spending by 1 per cent in a bid to raise approximately £6bn for defence costs by the end of this parliament. Starmer [...]
Inside Celonis, the German tech unicorn that won over a fifth of the FTSE 100 Tech For a company valued at more than $13bn (£9.58bn), Celonis remains relatively unknown in Britain. Founded in Munich in 2011, the software company has become one of Europe’s most valuable private tech firms, with customers including AstraZeneca, ASOS, BMW and the UK Cabinet Office. The UK has become one of its three largest markets globally. [...]
Milburn review: Youth unemployment crisis costs £125bn a year due to ‘broken system’ May 28, 2026 The crisis of nearly a million young people who are out of education, employment or training – known as ‘Neets’ – costs the UK economy up to £125bn a year, the Alan Milburn review has found, as both the government and the private sector were blamed for failing to address youth unemployment. An extensive report [...]
Palantir ‘should challenge Sadiq Khan in court’ over blocked Met Police contract May 25, 2026 American tech firm Palantir should challenge Sadiq Khan in court after the London mayor blocked a £50m contract with the Metropolitan Police, former government legal officer Sir Michael Ellis has said. Sir Michael Ellis KC, a former Tory attorney general under Liz Truss, said Khan’s decision is “an extraordinary intervention, which may be susceptible to [...]
Kainos shares lift as revenue surges on bumper NHS contract wins May 18, 2026 One of Northern Ireland’s biggest technology firms has posted a surge in revenue on the back of a spate of NHS contract wins. Belfast-based IT services provider Kainos reported a 17 per cent rise in revenue to £431.1m for the year to end March, led by a 55 per cent jump in turnover from healthcare [...]
Spire Healthcare shares rocket after £1bn bid approach May 14, 2026 Shares in Spire Healthcare shot to the top of the FTSE 250 on Wednesday, after the firm’s board signalled it would back a £1bn bid approach for the company from its second-biggest existing investor. Private equity outfit Toscafund said it would offer 250p per share, a hefty 66 per cent premium from Wednesday’s closing price [...]
Quantexa chief says £175m HMRC deal will ‘protect taxpayers’ money’ May 14, 2026 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has signed a £175m, 10-year partnership with London-based Quantexa to overhaul its data infrastructure, as the tax authority scrambles to recover billions lost to evasion and sophisticated fraud. The deal – one of the largest tech deployments in the public sector – is designed to fix the “fragmented” legacy systems [...]
NHS gives Palantir wider access to patient data amid growing backlash May 11, 2026 NHS England has expanded access to sensitive patient data for external contractors working on its controversial Palantir-backed data. The move has sparked concerns over privacy for such sensitive data, and the growing influence of American Big Techs inside the UK’s health service. According to the Financial Times, internal briefing documents show NHS officials approved new [...]
Palantir revenue rockets past forecasts May 5, 2026 Revenue at Palantir rocketed past analyst forecasts as the AI-powered firm ramped up commercial and government deals. The US tech firm posted revenue of $1.6bn (£1.2bn) in the first three months of the year, above investor expectations of $1.5bn and 85 per cent ahead of last year. The firm upped its revenue guidance to $7.6bn [...]