UK-India trade deal ‘transformational’ for Scotch whisky market May 6, 2025 The newly-announced trade deal between the UK and India has been lauded as “transformational” in opening Scotch up to the world’s largest whiskey market. Under the terms of the deal, the UK’s 150 per cent tariff on Scotch Whisky will be halved to 75 per cent, with the potential for further reductions in the coming [...]
Will snooker really boom in China after Zhao Xintong’s landmark win? May 6, 2025 Predictions of a snooker boom in China following Zhao Xintong’s landmark World Championship victory may be more bluster than substance, say global sports business experts. Zhao’s stylish triumph at the Crucible on Monday made him the first Asian to win the title and raised expectations that the sport will rocket in popularity among China’s 1.6bn [...]
UK services sent into decline amid ‘market turbulence’ May 6, 2025 UK output was sent into decline by “market turbulence” in April for the first time in one and a half years, prompting fears that Chancellor Reeves’ £40bn tax raid last autumn was damaging the country’s services economy. The services sector, which is seen as the engine behind UK growth, had been on a 17-month winning [...]
Non-dom exodus could cost the Treasury £12.2bn May 6, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ decision to remove tax exemptions for non-doms could lead to “billions” in losses from the public purse, new research has suggested, in a blow to the Treasury’s fiscal plans. Reeves followed through with manifesto pledges by removing tax exemptions from mega-rich non-domiciled individuals at last year’s Autumn Budget, something the Office for [...]
Home Office to clamp down on visa overstays amid pressure from Farage May 6, 2025 New Home Office rules would put curbs on work and study visas from nationalities most at risk of overstaying and going on to claim asylum as part of Labour’s push to reduce net migration. Applications from Pakistanis, Nigerians and Sri Lankans are among those set to be restricted, according to a report in The Times. [...]
Tories take note: Reform will come at Labour from the left May 6, 2025 As the dust settles on the local elections, party leaders will be busy trying to identify the right lessons. For the Conservatives, the picture is both clear and complicated. As Kemi Badenoch put it, her party faced a “bloodbath” in councils across the country. That’s the clear bit. The complicated bit concerns what she should [...]
In memory of Richard Vines, a sage and a gentleman May 6, 2025 My friend Richard Vines, chief restaurant critic of Bloomberg for 25 years, passed away this week. A champion of both genius chefs and restaurateurs, he was a wonderful man who I admired hugely. Over the last few days, I have been reminded of some magnificent City lunches with Richard; at Kym’s by Andrew Wong, after [...]
Labour can beat Reform by rebuilding public services May 6, 2025 Labour’s path to electoral victory lies in tangible public service improvements. Modern Public Private Partnerships could be the key to delivering results without breaking fiscal rules, say former Labour cabinet ministers Alan Johnson and Lord Hutton There are two answers for a government under threat from Reform. You try to outflank them on the right [...]
Farage’s first real test: can Reform govern? May 6, 2025 After storming to success in the local elections, Reform now holds real positions of power – so what does it intend to do with it? Asks Emma Revell Many column inches will be spent poring over what the local elections mean for our supposedly two-party system, whether Labour or the Conservatives have most to lose [...]
Lights, camera, taxes: British film industry rattled by latest Trump tariff threat May 5, 2025 British media execs have been put on edge after Donald Trump took aim at foreign filmmakers in his latest tariff frenzy. In a brash social media post, the US president accused countries of a “concerted effort” to lure talent away from Hollywood in what he called a “national security threat” and vowed to impose tariffs [...]