GDP shrinks in January as UK economy prepares for upcoming tax hikes March 14, 2025 The UK economy underperformed expectations in January. According to the latest set of gross domestic product (GDP) figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the economy shrank by 0.1 per cent in January as output was dragged down by a sharp drop in output in the production sector. Over the three months to [...]
Infrastructure boom lifts Balfour Beatty, Kier Group and Costain March 14, 2025 London-listed construction firms Balfour Beatty, Kier Group, and Costain, have all reported robust results this week as the UK’s increasing prioritisation of major infrastructure projects starts to life the sector. Their combined order books now exceed more than £30bn and shareholders stand to benefit. All three of the companies hiked their dividends and shareholder returns alongside their [...]
Jonathan Reynolds apologises to Parliament for ‘solicitor’ claim March 13, 2025 Jonathan Reynolds has apologised to the House of Commons and corrected the record over “inadvertently” claiming to have been a solicitor during a speech in 2014. The business and trade secretary said he should have made clear that he was a trainee solicitor when speaking during a debate on high speed rail. The term “solicitor” [...]
Steel tariffs: US trade policy under Trump ‘challenging’, Reynolds admits March 13, 2025 The US tariff policy under President Donald Trump is proving “challenging” for Britain, the business and trade secretary has admitted. Jonathan Reynolds is in discussions with his US counterparts over Trump’s new 25 per cent tariff regime on steel and aluminium imports – but has not secured an exemption for the UK. It comes after [...]
Week in Business: Will Starmer Slash the State? March 13, 2025 Javier Milei, Elon Musk, and now Keir Starmer? The PM says he wants to reform the state - just don't call it austerity.
Keir Starmer to scrap NHS England March 13, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer has announced plans to abolish NHS England and bring the health service under government control. Giving a speech on his plans for civil service reform today, the Prime Minister has confirmed he will scrap the “arms-length body” NHS England. Sir Keir said the decision will see the management of the health service [...]
Exclusive: HS2 should not re-negotiate contracts, says Balfour Beatty boss March 13, 2025 A scathing report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) last month concluded HS2 Ltd's contracts were "unacceptable to the public purse" and that it was "imperative" the project delivered on its assurances to re-negotiate them.
Will Starmer’s chainsaw be Black & Decker or Fisher Price? March 13, 2025 On Monday I used this column to ask who, if anyone, will have the courage to take a chainsaw to the British state. It’s an inelegant metaphor, but an effective one as Argentina’s Javier Milei and Elon Musk in the US revel in the process of hacking away at state infrastructure. Milei won his election [...]
Keir Starmer to pledge red tape rollback in bid to ‘reshape the state’ March 12, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer is expected to pledge to slash red tape for businesses in a bid to “reshape the state” of the UK amid what he will call a new “era of instability”. The Prime Minister is set to make an announcement on Thursday about his plans to reform the British state, cut regulation, and [...]
Tariffs: Starmer ‘disappointed’ by Trump move and ‘all options on table’ March 12, 2025 The Prime Minister has said he is “disappointed” by US President Donald Trump’s move to bring in 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, including from the UK. Sir Keir Starmer has indicated the UK would keep open the option of retaliatory measures, emphasising that “we will keep all options on the table”. [...]