George Osborne: Manchesterism is a real thing but Burnham ‘only part of the story’ June 10, 2026 Former Chancellor George Osborne has said that mayor Andy Burnham should take some credit for Manchester’s high growth, defending Manchesterism as a “real thing”. Speaking to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee, he defended his move to begin devolving fiscal powers to Manchester during the Coalition government years under his “Northern Powerhouse” initiative. He [...]
The Bath House banya: Contrast therapy in Belgravia June 9, 2026 Contrast therapy is big business. Steve Dinneen visits The Bath House banya in Belgravia for a traditional sauna and icy plunge It is hard to overstate the meteoric rise in the UK’s hot and cold therapy business. The number of Finnish-style public saunas has grown from around 45 in 2023 to more than 700 today, [...]
Pret A Manger dumps US franchise agreement after just two years June 9, 2026 Pret A Manger has dumped the franchise agreement which it had launched to expand in the US after just two years, its latest accounts revealed. The coffee chain formed a joint venture, known as Empire JointStar, with its franchise operator Dallas Holdings in October 2023, in a bid to accelerate its expansion in the US. [...]
Uber and Wayve open waitlist for London robotaxis June 9, 2026 Uber has opened an interest list for customers keen to try autonomous minicabs in the capital, as self-driving taxis near a commercial launch in the UK. The ride-hailing giant is partnering with British autonomous driving firm Wayve, whose technology has been tested on London’s streets since 2018. Customers can now opt in through the Uber [...]
Portugal holidays: why The Algarve offers so much more than just beaches June 9, 2026 The Algarve beyond the beaches, by Jack J Matthews The prospect of walking 300 km is intimidating. But even the longest, most challenging of journeys begins with a single step, and as long as one foot keeps following the other, you will have covered a good distance in no time. This, at least, was the [...]
Andy Burnham ducks ‘fiscal rules exam’ despite pledge to stick to them June 6, 2026 Andy Burnham refused to explain Labour’s fiscal rules on Friday, despite insisting he would stick to them if he entered Downing Street, raising questions over the economic strategy underpinning his growing leadership bid. The Greater Manchester Mayor, who has spent months positioning himself as Labour’s most prominent alternative voice, was challenged to explain the government’s [...]
WPP Media CEO: Creative industries should bet big on London, the city of brilliant lunatics June 4, 2026 London has been named the best city in the world for culture - it should be creative industries' first choice, writes WPP Media's Kate Rowlinson.
Kpler Announces Strategic Growth Equity Investment from Sixth Street June 3, 2026 Kpler, a leading provider of global physical trade intelligence data and analytics, today announced it has secured a minority strategic growth equity investment of over $1 billion from Sixth Street, a leading global investment firm. As part of the transaction, management will remain majority owners of the business, Insight Partners will remain a shareholder and [...]
World Cup won’t boost US or European economies, experts warn June 2, 2026 The upcoming Fifa World Cup is unlikely to deliver significant or lasting economic growth for its three hosts and the European market, experts have warned. The quadrennial tournament – being held across the United States, Canada and Mexico – is set to “generate excitement far more reliably than sustained economic transformation”. Natixis CIB’s report, Beyond [...]
How do you teach a robotaxi London? Waymo explains June 2, 2026 Before Waymo launches a commercial robotaxi service in London, it needs to teach its vehicles more than just how to drive on the left, writes Saskia Koopman. Waymo, the Alphabet-owned autonomous driving company, has spent months testing vehicles across the capital ahead of a planned commercial launch. The robotaxi giant has been testing in London [...]