Keir Starmer pressed to ‘come clean’ on Mandelson sacking September 16, 2025 Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been pressed to “come clean” on how the sacking of former ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson unfolded and the process that led to his appointment last year. Starmer, who was not present at an emergency debate on Mandelson’s sacking on Tuesday, said on Monday that he would not have [...]
HMRC’s new tax adviser legislation puts ‘undue burden’ on professionals September 16, 2025 From next April, tax advisers will be required to register with HMRC and meet certain minimum standards, as a top legal body has warned that this “risks undue burden on professionals.” Following a consultation carried out in 2024, HMRC published its policy paper and draft legislation in July, which outlined a new legal requirement for [...]
Fund managers dumping UK stocks at fastest rate in two decades September 16, 2025 The scale of investor doubts over the British economy has been laid bare after fresh data found fund managers were pulling out of UK stocks at a pace not seen in more than two decades. Average equity allocations to the UK dropped from a net 2 per cent underweight in August to a net 20 [...]
Trump’s UK state visit sparks tech investment buzz, but how realistic are the gains? September 16, 2025 US president Donald Trump will arrive in the UK on Tuesday evening for a state visit, bringing with him a wave of attention on transatlantic tech investment. The two-day trip, marked by royal pageantry at Windsor Castle and private talks at Chequers with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, coincides with announcements already made of nearly $10bn [...]
State pension boost raises questions on tax and triple lock future September 16, 2025 While pensioners may be cheering a proposed 4.7 per cent rise in the state pension, there are lingering questions over the sustainability of such increases and the viability of the triple lock itself. The proposed uplift means that payments to retirees are on track to rise by more than £560, bringing the new full state [...]
Donald Trump to Keir Starmer’s rescue – or torment? September 16, 2025 President Donald Trump will look out of Air Force One’s windows to see England’s green and pleasant land before arriving this afternoon. He will surely be giddy with excitement about his meeting with the King and a very royal carriage procession inside Windsor Castle’s grounds tomorrow. He will also be pleased to see his unlikely [...]
State pension to rise by £560 in extra costs to Treasury September 16, 2025 The state pension is set to rise by more than £560 from April as wage growth figures used to calculate the increase will make the elderly the “big winner” from today’s economic data in another extra cost to Rachel Reeves. The triple lock uprating policy, which was introduced 15 years ago, means the pension increases [...]
University funding crisis spreads to wider economy September 16, 2025 UK universities are facing mounting funding crisis that is affecting the country’s wider economy – with regions like Wales and the North East more at risk. According to new analysis from Oxford Economics, universities added £80bn in gross value added (GVA) to the economy and supported 1.2m jobs in 2024, including staff directly employed by [...]
£1bn AI home care savings spotlight urgent need for public sector tech reform September 16, 2025 The NHS and government have saved more than £1bn to date thanks to an AI-driven approach to home care. HealthTech innovator Cera, which employs 10,000 carers and nurses delivering 2.5 million home visits per month, has developed predictive AI tools aimed at reducing avoidable hospital admissions, A&E attendances, and costly residential care referrals. Dr Ben [...]
City AM Shadow MPC votes 8-1 to HOLD interest rates September 16, 2025 Leading economists from academia and the City have voted 8-1 for interest rates to be held at four per cent in City AM’s Shadow Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) ahead of the Bank of England’s own decision this week. Top analysts, who expressed views independently of their organisations, have said that stubborn inflation above the Bank [...]