Keir Starmer’s dithering over Iran is no diplomatic masterstroke Opinion Those arguing that Starmer has stumbled upon a brilliant strategy when it comes to the war in Iran are wrong. He has damaged Britain’s credibility and left us weaker, says Tom Harwood Has the Prime Minister blundered into a strategic masterstroke? Could it be that Keir Starmer has had his finger on the pulse of [...]
Profit warnings citing global upheaval hit ‘record high’ Markets The proportion of profit warnings issued by UK-listed companies where bosses complain about policy uncertainty and geopolitics reached a record high last year, fresh analysis has shown. New data by EY has shown that 240 firms warned investors that profits would fall short of market expectations. Though this was the lowest figure since 2021 – [...]
Calls for hospitality support grow as business rates outcry deepens hospitality Calls for the government to extend its rumoured support package for pubs to the entire hospitality industry grew on Monday, after a string of data releases laid bare the bleak outlook for UK venues amid fresh polling that reveals enormous public support for the embattled sector. According to the latest City AM/Freshwater Strategy poll, 70 [...]
Starmer and Reeves ‘credibility shot’ after pubs tax U-turn, says Badenoch January 11, 2026 The credibility of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves has faced a bruising after they were forced to make a dramatic U-turn on their business rates reform for pubs, the leader of the Conservative party has said. Ministers are set to water down the business rates bombshell slapped on pubs following fierce [...]
Ministers to offer business rates relief to pubs after backlash January 8, 2026 Panicked ministers are poised to water down the business rates bombshell faced by pubs, after an aggressive backlash from the industry saw over a thousand landlords ban Labour MPs from their premises. The government is expected to announce an overhaul to the way it calculates business rates for pubs within days, which it says will [...]
Labour U-turns on workers’ rights manifesto pledge November 27, 2025 The government has reversed its contentious plans to hand all new staff protection from unfair dismissal from day one, after months of warnings about the workers’ rights package from industry and fierce political resistance from the House of Lords. Under revised proposals announced by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) on Thursday, the protection [...]
Exclusive: Industry chiefs warn Reeves not to hit business after income tax U-turn November 14, 2025 The Chancellor must not rely on businesses to plug the gaping fiscal gap left by Thursday’s income tax U-turn, a group of industry body chiefs has warned a year after UK firms were forced to stomach much of the £40bn of tax hikes at Labour’s maiden Budget. In an unusual combined intervention, bosses from five [...]
£1.4 trillion in public spending won’t make Britain a better country July 1, 2025 Following the government’s U-tun on welfare reform, Labour’s spending plans simply don’t add up, says Karl Williams After the government’s latest U-turn, the question on many lips is: how long can Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves go on like this? But a more pertinent question might be: how long can the country go on like [...]
Week in Business: Will Starmer sack Rachel Reeves? May 23, 2025 Cracks are appearing in Labour's economic strategy - will Keir Starmer roll the dice and look for a new Chancellor to change course?