Labour to target rule-breaking ministers with financial sanctions July 21, 2025 Rule-breaking ministers will be targeted with sanctions and a new watchdog will be set up to improve standards in public life under new reforms introduced by the Labour government. As part of efforts to improve behaviour across politics, Keir Starmer has replaced an independent watchdog for former ministers – the Advisory Committee for Business Appointments [...]
What a science tour of Wales taught me about time, the earth – and my nan July 21, 2025 The history of time, and a touching family connection, brought Damien Gabet closer than ever to rural Wales During the war my grandmother, Gwyneth, would walk from her parents’ farm in the South Swansea Valley to a neo-gothic mansion called Craig-y-Nos. Once home to the fabled opera singer Adelina Patti, it had since become a [...]
Private equity boom: Nearly 9 in 10 accountancy firms approached last year July 21, 2025 The interest in UK accountancy firms from private equity houses is at an all-time high, as exclusive data revealed the appetite for 'a major injection of funds' is on both sides
Super League Basketball steps up season plans despite BBF legal row July 21, 2025 Super League Basketball (SLB) chiefs have announced further ticket sales for next season despite the campaign being threatened by a legal battle with the British Basketball Federation (BBF). SLB says its men’s and women’s Trophy Finals will take place at Birmingham’s Utilta Arena on 1 February 2026, with tickets set to be made available via [...]
Elvis Evolution review: The King is in the building – kind of July 21, 2025 Elvis Evolution review and star rating: ★★★★ We live in an age where the image of Elvis prceedes the reality of the man himself. Think of Presley and bequiffed impersonators from Vegas to Blackpool probably come to mind. In many ways, he has been bastardised by mimicry. Elvis Evolution has an incredibly nuanced way of [...]
Reeves warned pensions tax raid could cost UK in the long run July 21, 2025 City platform Hargreaves Lansdown has warned Rachel Reeves that “tinkering” with the pension tax relief could cost the UK in the long run and undermine the government’s fresh attempts to get workers to save more into retirement. The return of the Pensions Commission, which will report its findings on the adequacy of retirement savings in [...]
BP appoints former CRH boss as chair July 21, 2025 BP has appointed a successor for chair Helge Lund, who announced plans to step down in April amid growing shareholder pressure. Albert Manifold, the former chief executive of building materials group CRH, will take over as chair of the oil major in October after a one-month stint as chair-elect. Manifold led CRH for ten years [...]
HMRC cracks down on tax-avoiding restaurants and takeaways July 21, 2025 HMRC has put the restaurant sector firmly in its sights as it tries to hit ambitious targets set by the government. It has ‘named and shamed’ 98 restaurant businesses in a single day, according to accountants Hacker Young. The firms owe a collective £10.4m in unpaid tax and HMRC has issued them with a total of [...]
The City welcomes reforms to make London more competitive July 21, 2025 The Chancellor’s Mansion House reforms matter because they promise more jobs. more capital and better pensions – now they must deliver, says Chris Hayward The Chancellor’s Leeds Reforms, unveiled at Mansion House, have opened the door to reforms that could boost investment. These reforms aren’t just about the City. These reforms matter because they promise [...]
Meta: Zuckerberg’s open source gamble collides with EU regulation July 20, 2025 Meta has refused to sign the European Commission’s new AI Code of Practice, escalating tensions with Brussels just weeks before landmark regulation kicks in. The voluntary guidelines – designed to help tech giants prepare for the EU’s sweeping AI Act – were rejected outright by Meta’s global affairs chief Joel Kaplan, who warned they introduced [...]