Is housebuilding in London impossible? May 25, 2026 After its 900-home development in Peckham was blocked, housebuilder Berkeley said it can “no longer invest” in London. Felix Armstrong asks whether development in the capital really has hit a brick wall At the Aylesham Centre in Peckham, south London, shoppers are met with graffitied walls, peeling paint and shuttered retail units. The site began [...]
ePass Aims to Be Scotland’s Top GovTech Scaleup After Reporting £1M Revenue in First Year May 25, 2026 ePass has set its sights on being Scotland’s most successful GovTech scaleup, following the GovTech startup winning one of the largest CivTech challenges to date, and its tobacco and vapes retailers register being deployed in 6 months, while reporting £1m of revenue in its first twelve months. This press release features multimedia. View the full [...]
Palantir ‘should challenge Sadiq Khan in court’ over blocked Met Police contract May 25, 2026 American tech firm Palantir should challenge Sadiq Khan in court after the London mayor blocked a £50m contract with the Metropolitan Police, former government legal officer Sir Michael Ellis has said. Sir Michael Ellis KC, a former Tory attorney general under Liz Truss, said Khan’s decision is “an extraordinary intervention, which may be susceptible to [...]
Shawbrook weighs Aldermore bid as Firstrand looks to offload challenger bank May 25, 2026 Shawbrook is reportedly weighing up a merger with rival Aldermore after its owner put the challenger bank up for sale. The lender, which debuted on the London Stock Exchange last year, is in the early stages of considering a takeover, according to Sky News’ Mark Kleinman. South Africa-based financial services group Firstrand, which bought Aldermore [...]
Easyjet founder bets on World Cup in prediction markets pivot May 25, 2026 The billionaire behind Easyjet is taking a punt on sports betting as he launches prediction markets ahead of the World Cup. Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, who founded the budget airline in 1995, launched his Easybet platform in 2024 and is now expanding into prediction markets, City AM can reveal. Betting is the latest spin-off for the [...]
I’m a Manchester United fan and marketing expert but Arsenal are cool May 25, 2026 Arsenal’s long-awaited success on and off the field has been earned with smart, patient planning, says Pitch founder (and Man Utd supporter) Henry Chappell. As a Manchester United fan since before the Fergie years, Arsenal’s march to Premier League glory and a Champions League final is a tough watch. And it’s just as hard to [...]
Reform UK tax cut pledge raises doubts May 24, 2026 Reform UK’s tax cut pledge for workers doing overtime hours is facing criticism from economists across the political spectrum amid doubts it would boost productivity. The party said it would scrap income tax above a 40-hour week for workers on less than £75,000, costing around £5bn a year and paid for through cuts to welfare [...]
Industry chiefs slam packaging tax that could push food prices higher May 24, 2026 Industry bosses have hit out at the government and warned that food prices will rise by more than necessary as the packaging tax is set to be introduced. The government had been scrambling to find ways to limit a price surge in the coming months, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves setting out incentives for families to [...]
The season finale economy: Why we undervalue the Premier League May 24, 2026 With one round of Premier League fixtures remaining, the season finale is not approaching, it is here. Title races (usually) tighten, relegation battles become existential, and the casual viewer becomes a committed one. For fans, it is the most emotionally charged period of the year. For brands, it should be one of the most valuable [...]
Superdrug owner eyes up London float in $30bn dual listing May 23, 2026 The owner of Superdrug is eyeing up a blockbuster London float as part of a $30bn dual listing later this year. AS Watson, which owns the health and beauty retailer, plans to raise about $2bn by listing its shares in both London and Hong Kong before the end of 2026. The Superdrug owner would join [...]