Andrew Griffith: My FTSE 100 experience means I know how to balance the books September 3, 2026 Andrew Griffith’s fierce interest in politics long preceded his involvement in it. Aged 26, he appeared in the audience of a 1997 Question Time show, in which host David Dimbleby gave him the opportunity to speak to would-be PM Tony Blair. He didn’t hold back. “You may be the glossy smart marketing, but you haven’t [...]
Poundland owners rush to sell discount retailer before Christmas September 2, 2026 The owners of Poundland are racing to find a buyer for the discount retailer ahead of the all-important Christmas trading period, having already received interest from suitors. Gordon Brothers, who bought Poundland only a year ago, have appointed advisors Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) to sound out interest in the company after several parties approached the [...]
Kemi Badenoch’s reshuffle has refreshed the Conservative Party September 1, 2026 Sacking Mel Stride and promoting new faces like Katie Lam – along with appointing a shadow Chancellor who believes in private enterprise, is a signal of intent, says Oliver Dean For roughly two years, Kemi Badenoch had kept the same old team in place. Mel Stride as shadow Chancellor; Priti Patel as shadow foreign secretary. [...]
Sky-high school fees force parents to dig into pensions and savings September 1, 2026 Spiralling education costs after the government’s school fees crackdown are forcing a record number of parents to dip into their pensions and savings to keep their children at private school. According to a fresh Rathbones study, parents face a “double squeeze” having to fund higher private education fees at the expense of their own long-term [...]
Government urged to do more to tackle £1bn piracy problem in sport and entertainment September 1, 2026 Illegal streaming of live sport, film and TV is costing the UK economy £1.35bn and requires a tougher crackdown, the government has been told. Piracy of content including Premier League football is depriving the Exchequer of £366m in tax and could fund 10,000 jobs in media, according to a new report commissioned by cross-industry coalition [...]
Badenoch bets on experience as Griffith and Tugendhat claim shadow cabinet top spots August 31, 2026 Andrew Griffith has been announced as the new shadow chancellor, replacing Sir Mel Stride in a Conservative Party reshuffle carried out before parliament returns on Tuesday. Griffith, who was the shadow business secretary, will now lead on economic policy for the Tories heading up a new Conservative Economics Unit. Kemi Badenoch’s decision to sack Stride [...]
Green activists want to take Polanski down a dark road August 31, 2026 The Greens' absolutism is bad for politics, and Polanski too. Those who police dogma see heretics everywhere, even at the top.
Venture heavyweights denounce government’s £1bn scale-up fund plans August 28, 2026 The government’s flagship £1bn scale-up fund will miss out on top deals and chalk up poor performance for its pensioner investors should ministers select a traditional firm to manage it over a specialist venture capital shop, a group of the UK’s top early-stage investors has warned. The industry heavyweights, who between them are early backers [...]
Premier League Gameweek 2 Predictions: Arsenal and Chelsea March On August 27, 2026 It was an absorbing opening week of action in the Premier League with Arsenal cruising, Manchester City battling and Liverpool just about rescuing themselves. Two of the promoted teams won, including Hull’s astonishingly straightforward victory over an abject Manchester United. Matchday two kicks off on Friday night with Enzo Maresca’s City in the capital to [...]
Jamie Carragher: HMRC petitions for Sky Sports star to be declared bankrupt August 27, 2026 HMRC has filed a petition seeking to have Sky Sports pundit and former England footballer Jamie Carragher declared bankrupt over an unpaid tax bill. The case was filed against James Lee Duncan Carragher by solicitors representing HMRC at the High Court in London yesterday, filings show. The 48-year-old is one of the faces of Sky [...]