Lloyds taps $160bn fintech giant to boost small business tech June 9, 2026 Lloyds Bank has sealed a partnership with a $160bn (£119bn) fintech giant to ramp up its payments tech for small-business clients. The blue-chip banking giant has agreed a tie-up with Stripe that will see Lloyds leverage the fintech’s payment infrastructure to provide a suite of tools for its small-business customers. The new offering, named Lloyds Accept, [...]
Britain to offer visa refunds to woo tech scale-ups June 9, 2026 The government will reimburse visa fees for high-growth firms hiring overseas talent as ministers step up efforts to turn Britain’s most promising scale-ups into global tech champions. Business secretary Peter Kyle is set to unveil a package of measures aimed at helping fast-growing companies “start, scale and stay” in the UK, including a new concierge-style [...]
Government aid ‘worth £28bn’ handed to terrorists, criminals and hostile states June 9, 2026 Billions of pounds of UK taxpayers’ money has been misspent as government aid and Covid relief funds ended up in the hands of terrorists, hostile states and criminal gangs, according to reports. A Cabinet Office dossier, unearthed by the Telegraph, found that more than £28bn ended up in the hands of the Islamic State and [...]
The Derbyshire manufacturing firm putting the nuts and bolts into the world’s most extreme environments June 9, 2026 West Special Fasteners began in 1999 when its current CEO, James Hawkins, decided with a group of colleagues to leave their jobs in the Sheffield stainless steel industry and set up on their own. In his early 20s at the time, it was a confident step and one that’s paid off. Starting out with a [...]
British businesses celebrated at The King’s Awards for Enterprise June 9, 2026 British businesses have been recognised for their contribution to economic growth and innovation as The King’s Awards for Enterprise mark their 60th anniversary, with 186 recipients announced across the UK and Channel Islands. The awards, widely regarded as the most prestigious accolade for UK businesses, celebrate achievement in international trade, innovation, sustainability and social mobility. [...]
Alumni Ventures Expands to UK with new London Office and Launches Global Alumni Syndicate June 9, 2026 Leading US venture capital firm opens first office outside North America in London, launches a new UK affiliate, and opens new community for internationally-minded qualified investors
Mayor Khan hails London as ‘undisputed global capital for women’s sport’ amid £50m boost June 9, 2026 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has hailed the capital as the “undisputed global capital for women’s sport” after the sector pulled in £55m in 2025. City Hall research claims that events such as the Women’s Rugby World Cup final, the WTA event at Queen’s and the Hundred all contributed to £55m being delivered into the [...]
Rugby needs its Premier League to step up and take control, Raine says June 9, 2026 Merchant bank Raine Group has warned that professional rugby is not big enough for “five or six leagues” and that it is “time for someone to put the hammer down” and become the sport’s equivalent to the Premier League. Rugby union has been going through a crisis of late, with different leagues using different structures [...]
CBI: 200,000 more Brits to face unemployment this year as growth crumbles June 9, 2026 The UK economy is set for further pain in the months ahead, a top business group has warned, as consumers and businesses across the country suffer the effects of the Iran conflict, surging energy prices and a raft of government tax hikes. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has said that around 200,000 more Brits [...]
Heatwave boost for retailers as Brits snapped up BBQs and fans June 9, 2026 The late-May heatwave offered a much-needed boost for retailers as the hot weather prompted red-hot spending on barbecues, fans and sandals. Retail sales in the UK jumped by 3.7 per cent year on year in May, soaring above the full-year average of two per cent, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Many Brits opted [...]