House prices drop an ‘eye-catcher’ due to stamp duty changes April 30, 2025 UK house prices fell in April at their fastest month-to-month rate in nearly two years, fresh data has suggested, as adjustments to stamp duty knocked demand. Prices declined by 0.6 per cent in April compared to the previous month, according to Nationwide. The drop was attributed to stamp duty changes, introduced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves [...]
Could Britain survive a blackout? April 30, 2025 Blackouts across the Iberian Peninsula have exposed the fragility of our highly-connected infrastructure – and Britain is uniquely ill-equipped for a similar incident, says James Price In Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, society comes crashing down because the most talented people are not respected or rewarded for their endeavours, so they go on strike. Quickly, things [...]
Can AI replace the boardroom? April 30, 2025 AI is quietly taking over strategic decisions and that’s a mistake. If strategy is going to stay human, then it has to stay messy, says Paul Armstrong Automation used to mean invoices, scheduling and sorting PDFs. Now it means suggesting layoffs, flagging underperforming units, reshaping go-to-market strategy, and proposing M&A targets. AI isn’t just in [...]
The Penguin Lessons: Steve Coogan stars in lovable crowd pleaser April 30, 2025 Cinema has an inexplicable fascination with Penguins. From award-winning docs like March Of The Penguins to animation like Happy Feet, there’s something about these flightless birds that sells a movie as well as any A-lister. New drama The Penguin Lessons will certainly hope that continues to be the case, as it pairs Steve Coogan with [...]
GSK shares rise as FTSE 100 giant ‘well positioned’ for pharma tariffs April 30, 2025 British drugmaker GSK insisted it was “well positioned” to respond to the impact of sector-specific tariffs amid widespread speculation President Donald Trump is set to target pharmaceutical imports with his tariff agenda. Trump voiced his desire to slap tariffs on pharma products in the “not too distant future”. He previously said: “We don’t make our [...]
Everton owners in talks to buy data firm to help manager Moyes April 30, 2025 In this week’s Ahead of the Game: Everton’s Friedkin Group looks to data, Hundred and World Cup latest, bookmakers and the EFL. Everton’s owners, The Friedkin Group, are in talks over buying a data company to assist David Moyes with player recruitment. Following an internal review conducted at Goodison Park since the multi-club owners bought [...]
Fresh row over plan to mandate pension fund investments April 30, 2025 A row has erupted over reports the government is plotting to set mandates on pension fund allocations, while the chief architect of the so-called Mansion House reforms – which aimed to encourage the deployment of pension fund assets into unlisted equities – has distanced himself from the move. Pension bosses are understood to have been [...]
Taxes and tariffs combine to ‘drag business sentiment’ April 30, 2025 The double whammy of Rachel Reeves’ taxes and Donald Trump’s tariffs have dragged confidence in business volumes to their lowest level in more than two years, fresh data has found, further clouding prospects for the British economy. The UK has already suffered from lacklustre growth over the last few years as real GDP only expanded [...]
Construction firms lose hope but businesses are ‘showing resilience’ April 30, 2025 Construction firms have grown despondent about their business prospects despite signs of resilience across the UK economy, a new survey has found. The sector is key to the housing secretary Angela Rayner’s plans to build 1.5m homes by 2030 though early signs suggest the ambitious target will not be met. Construction saw a bigger drop [...]
Tony Blair is right to call for ‘reset’ of ludicrous Net Zero debate April 30, 2025 If energy secretary Ed Miliband still believes that critics of his dash to Net Zero are peddlers of “nonsense and lies” he has a new name to add to his list of dangerous misinformation merchants: Tony Blair. I do appreciate that some people believe that his name belongs on exactly that kind of list, but [...]