The nuclear stupidity of insisting reactors provide ‘social value’ October 23, 2025 The government is demanding that companies who want to build small modular reactors must ensure 50 per cent of workers are women and provide jobs for refugees rather than, you know, build a nuclear reactor, says Tom Harwood Let me take you back in time to a quite different world. Barack Obama is President of [...]
Mark Kleinman: Ovo’s quest for cash needs fresh spark October 23, 2025 Ovo’s quest for cash needs fresh spark Talk about losing its spark. For Stephen Fitzpatrick, the 2020 acquisition of SSE’s retail energy supply arm was a defining moment – a daring swoop by Ovo, the upstart utility he had founded, for a principal member of the sector oligopoly. It’s been far from plain sailing since: [...]
The ‘confidence gap’ is discouraging women from investing October 23, 2025 The UK financial services’ sectors fixation with the ‘confidence gap’ is actively turning women away from investing, a trading platform has warned. An analysis by Etoro of more than 80 UK reports on women investing by the financial services industry, found a repeated belief that the gender investment gap was caused by a lack of [...]
UK dividends fall as companies battle challenging economic backdrop October 23, 2025 UK dividends tumbled in the third quarter of the financial year, as large companies made significant cuts to their shareholder payouts. According to the latest dividend monitor from financial services firm Computershare, London-listed firms paid their shareholders £24.6bn in the third quarter, through one off and regular payments. This was a 1.4 per cent year-on-year [...]
Banking watchdog boss warns easing capital rules ‘highly risky’ October 22, 2025 The head of the UK’s banking watchdog has warned of high risk if the UK loosens its rules around lenders’ capital framework as the government pushes for economic growth. Sam Woods, the head of the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), said requiring banks to no longer set aside capital for top-tier sovereign bonds would “be equivalent [...]
Waymo founder: ‘I never envisioned a London rollout’ October 22, 2025 As Waymo prepares for its UK launch, founder Sebastian Thrun admitted he “never envisioned” London being home to autonomous cars. The driverless taxis have taken the US by storm, and the company will soon enter Europe, hitting the streets of the capital before the end of the year. The company, owned by Google parent Alphabet, [...]
Lawyers sound alarm over Rachel Reeves’ proposed tax target on LLPs October 22, 2025 The Chancellor is reportedly looking to target limited liability partnerships (LLPs) for a tax raid as she tries to fill the fiscal black hole, but critics warn that this move will have consequences for the professional services sector. The LLP model, used by professional services such as law firms, accountancy, and some doctors (GPs), came into force [...]
Benefits to increase more than expected next April October 22, 2025 Most state benefits will rise by 3.8 per cent next year in line with September’s rate of inflation, exceeding earlier predictions by the Treasury watchdog. September’s CPI inflation figures are used to calculate the increase to many welfare bills which take effect next April, including universal credit and personal independence payments (Pips). The rise is [...]
Nobel Prize winners’ message is clear: Excessive taxation inhibits growth October 22, 2025 This year's economics Nobel Prize winners make it clear that the UK's path of high taxation will destroy growth, writes Paul Ormerod.
PayPal-backed UK fintech kicks off legal battle over unpaid fees October 22, 2025 A PayPal-backed UK fintech which provides services to the HMRC is locked in a legal battle with a former client over an accusation of unpaid pre-determined charges. Embedded payments firm Modulr has filed a winding up petition against Paymob Technology, which trades under the moniker Dapio. A Judge will hear the case on Wednesday October [...]