KPMG Australia boss resigns amid whistleblower scandal May 29, 2026 The boss of KPMG Australia has resigned after the firm admitted to severely mishandling a whistleblower report on client confidentiality breaches. The scandal was prompted by a whistleblower who alleged that client documents were inappropriately shared with the senior leadership team, including the chief executive, which prompted an internal investigation. But the investigation did not [...]
Energy price cap to jump 13 per cent this summer May 27, 2026 UK households will be hit by a sharp £200 rise in energy bills next month, leaving Brits bracing for a painful winter of higher bills off the back of the Iran war. From 1 July to 30 September the annual energy price cap will be £1,862 per year, up from the current cap of £1,641, [...]
Mia Drennan: I was selling Macks in Debenhams – now I run a unicorn May 26, 2026 It took Mia Drennan 400 meetings to get her loan agency off the ground. Over 15 years later, she speaks to Ali Lyon about the recent investment that took the firm to fabled unicorn status, and what lies next. It is half-past-five on a balmy Thursday evening and in a cavernous central London office, a [...]
Ex-KPMG led accounting giant stalls £1bn sale May 25, 2026 One of the UK’s largest accounting firms founded by a former KPMG head has put a £1bn auction on hold despite receiving a wealth of interest from investors. Sumer, a ‘consolidator’ firm that buys majority stakes in smaller independent accounting companies, had hired advisors at boutique advisory Continuum last September to oversee a review on [...]
Inflation drops as Labour subsidies delay price surge May 20, 2026 Inflation dropped slightly compared to the result in the month before as Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget policies stalled an expected surge in price growth. The Office for National Statistics revealed that the consumer price index (CPI) reading was 2.8 per cent, lower than expected by City forecasters. The data for price growth in the year [...]
Job cuts at Big Four firms fuel worker burnout May 20, 2026 Job cuts at professional services firms are resulting in overworked staff, but the pressures – combined with increased reliance on AI – risk damaging firms’ reputations through mistakes, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. The professional services industry, especially the Big Four giants, has faced its fair share of job cuts, with thousands of roles laid off in [...]
Brits aren’t spending enough – time for Splash Out to Help Out May 20, 2026 Household debt has declined and people have stopped spending on productive things like home improvements but also in leisure. That’s bad news for the public finances, so the government should look at ways to incentivise spending, says Tim Sarson Brits have stopped spending. After the great financial crisis in 2008 we collectively decided to zip [...]
London to be hit hardest as jobs market struggles through 2026 May 11, 2026 The jobs market is set to worsen throughout the year, with UK employment forecast to suffer a net loss of 163,000 jobs. That’s according to research from the ITEM Club, which has found that London is set to bear the largest absolute decline, shedding an estimated 25,000 positions as its retail and hospitality sectors slow. [...]
CYNREN Launches Next Generation Advisory Firm Serving Family Offices, Funds and Institutions May 8, 2026 Founded by former partners of KPMG and Citibank with decades of experience guiding businesses, funds and families
UK businesses struggle with triple threat of costs, cyber risks and stagnant growth May 6, 2026 The UK consulting sector is expected to grow by nearly 6 per cent this year, amid businesses facing ‘intensifying pressure’ from cost management, cyber security risks, and budget constraints. The Management Consultancies Association (MCA), which represents the consulting sector, has released a new report stating that heightened costs and strapped budgets are “the single biggest concern” for [...]