UK music tech faces scale-up crunch as growth funding collapses June 1, 2026 Britain’s music tech sector is facing a scaling crisis, with funding for growth-stage firms collapsing by 90 per cent over the last five years despite the rapid rise of AI and growing investor interest in music licensing infrastructure. A new report from industry body Music Technology UK (MTUK) found investment into growth-stage music tech companies [...]
BCG, Bain and Alvarez & Marsal to ramp up entry level hiring despite AI fears May 31, 2026 Three of the UK’s largest management consultancies are boosting the amount of young people and graduates they recruit this year amid sector-wide concern that AI will disrupt junior hiring. Both Bain & Co and Alvarez & Marsal’s UK bosses said they will be stepping up the amount of junior hires over the next few years [...]
Ministers back SNP probe as Sturgeon refuses to apologise for Murrell May 31, 2026 Two top government ministers have backed an inquiry into the SNP after its former chief executive Peter Murrell admitted to embezzling over £400,000 from the party. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg that there “should definitely be an inquiry because trust in politics has been fundamentally undermined by the [...]
Manchester City and Spygate prove lawyer gulf is opening in football May 31, 2026 In February 2023, Manchester City fans unfurled a banner at the Etihad Stadium bearing the words “Pannick on the streets of London”. This play on The Smiths’ 1986 song referred to Lord David Pannick KC, the barrister hired to spearhead the club’s defence against 115 charges for alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. [...]
Easyjet attracts takeover interest from US private credit firm May 30, 2026 Budget airline carrier Easyjet has drawn takeover interest from private credit firm Castlelake, which could make the airline the latest UK-listed company to be snatched off the stock market. Castlelake said it was in the “early stages of considering a possible offer” for Easyjet on Friday, but was yet to approach the company’s board. The [...]
Fortegra Completes Acquisition by DB Insurance May 29, 2026 The Fortegra Group, Inc. (“Fortegra”), a global specialty insurance company, today announced the completion of its acquisition by DB Insurance Co., Ltd. (“DB”), one of Korea’s leading property and casualty insurers. The transaction, announced on September 26, 2025, received all required regulatory and stockholder approvals. Fortegra will operate independently, maintaining its existing leadership team, distribution [...]
I’m 50 – but I feel young dining at Simpson’s in the Strand May 29, 2026 Happy birthday to our top columnist – 50 years young and still eating out every night, especially at Simpson’s in Strand where he feels half his age As I turned 50 this weekend, with a solid celebration at Quaglino’s, a friendly journalist advised me that when it comes to writing, less is more. Or in [...]
Burberry delays climate pledge by a decade to 2050 May 29, 2026 Burberry has pushed back its net zero target by a decade, becoming the latest blue-chip business to water down ambitious climate goals set in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, City AM can reveal. The high-end fashion firm, known for its trench coats and tartan scarves, made the decision to delay its target to become [...]
Business services staff face redundancies at City law firm May 29, 2026 City-based law firm Clyde & Co has launched a restructuring consultation for its business service staff as part of its ongoing strategy to centralise support operations into regional hubs. The firm is proposing to move certain services currently performed by teams within legal support, purchase-to-pay, and IT to its service centres in Glasgow and its [...]
IFF Enters Into Agreement to Sell Its Food Ingredients Business to CVC May 29, 2026 Transaction advances portfolio transformation, sharpens focus on higher-growth, higher-margin businesses, strengthens balance sheet, and enhances value creation for shareholders