Asda-owned Leon cuts hundreds of jobs as work from home trend bites September 17, 2025 Leon has axed hundreds of jobs as it bemoaned a “challenging” year in which it wrestled with high cost inflation and depressed customer spending. The Asda-owned fast-food chain cut its headcount by 17 per cent, or 224, to 1,120 over the course of 2024, its latest accounts show, as it sought to bear down on [...]
OBR ‘downgrades productivity’ in major pre-Budget blow to Rachel Reeves September 16, 2025 The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has reportedly told Chancellor Rachel Reeves that it will downgrade productivity forecasts for the UK economy, blowing a hole in the public finances and making tax hikes all but guaranteed at this year’s November Budget. In another setback for the Labour government, the OBR has informed the Treasury that [...]
Rachel Reeves hosts Scott Bessent and finance execs for investment talks September 16, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves hosted US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent and top dogs from most of the world’s biggest finance firms in a warm-up event ahead of President Donald Trump’s UK arrival on Tuesday evening. City firms including Barclays, HSBC and Revolut sent representatives to Downing Street, where they were joined by bosses from top Wall [...]
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 [...]
I find Tommy Robinson repulsive, so why did so many march behind him? September 16, 2025 I struggled to identify the most significant elements of Saturday’s ‘Unite the Kingdom’ march in London. Was it the fact that 150,000 (mostly) ordinary people took to the streets in a (mostly) peaceful protest against large-scale immigration? Or was it that they were called to do so by a man who has served multiple prison [...]
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 [...]
The Notebook: I was a control officer during President Trump’s last state visit – here’s what to expect this September 16, 2025 The overriding priority during this week’s state visit by Donald Trump will be ensuring nothing goes wrong, unfortunately that means different things to both sides, says Michael Martins During President Trump’s last state visit, I was the landmark on Downing Street to show where the President’s car, the Beast, should park. That was the plan [...]
Toast the City: Steel Yard founder tells us why his venue should win September 15, 2025 Our Toast the City Awards are celebrating the City’s top spots and takes place this October. This week: The Steel Yard music venue. The finalists have been announced for the inaugural Toast the City Awards, with the finest restaurants, bars, green spaces and more being whittled down to just a handful of names. Now it’s your chance [...]
Labour to face awkward questions on Mandelson hours before Trump’s arrival September 15, 2025 Labour ministers will have to answer awkward questions in parliament on the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington hours before President Donald Trump lands in the UK for a state visit. The Speaker of the House, Lindsay Hoyle, has granted an emergency debate, requested by the Tories, over Mandelson’s dismissal as ambassador and [...]
How to make it: be ready to replace your CEO September 15, 2025 If there’s one inevitable in business aside from death and taxes it’s that the CEO will always leave, so succession planning is essential. But why hire an expensive headhunter when the right person could already be in your boardroom? Asks Richard Harpin As the new football season nears kick-off, I’ve been pondering that famous old [...]