Pressure shifts back to Big Tech as Ofcom delays social media ban March 12, 2026 Tech firms have been warned to strengthen protections for young people online after MPs rejected a proposal to ban under-16s from social media this week. Communications regulator Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) have written to major platforms, asking for details of how they plan to improve safety measures for children. Companies like Facebook, [...]
John Lewis boss: Labour must keep pledge to reform business rates March 12, 2026 Labour must honour its manifesto promise to fundamentally reform the business rates system, John Lewis boss Jason Tarry has said. The retail chairman said the changes at last year’s Budget were positive for retail but offered a “short-term” fix to a system which unfairly disadvantages physical retailers as opposed to online shops. Chancellor Rachel Reeves [...]
Is the City still sexy? March 12, 2026 The era of the long boozy lunch and male dominated pints down the pub may be over, but relationships matter more than ever in the Square Mile, says Eva sayers Over glasses of red and lunch at The Quality Chop House (not recommended for vegetarians, like myself), a broker who’s been working in the City [...]
The Cotswolds Distillery: Defining the brand of English whisky March 12, 2026 Whisky Business: City AM’s monthly look at the world of whisky. There are currently over 60 English Whisky distilleries operating across the country in various stages of evolution. There are 38 currently producing and selling spirit, with the remainder maturing new-make spirit that’s yet to hit the market. When the Cotswolds Distillery started out in 2014, [...]
Labour workers rights reforms could backfire for young workers March 12, 2026 Labour’s employment rights reforms could damage opportunities for young workers if the new laws reduce the number of flexible, entry-level roles, the UK’s top retail trade body has warned. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has called on the government to ensure the implementation of its reforms, which were passed into law in December, doesn’t hamper [...]
More Brits eye investing as low-cost platforms elbow into the market March 12, 2026 The UK DIY investment market swelled last year as the rise of low-cost platforms lured more investors into taking the plunge of managing their own assets. The do it yourself market has grown 19 per cent over the past twelve months, totalling £772bn assets under administration, as 18.4m Brits ploughed capital into the market, according [...]
Ma Shan’t let you down in the Stayers’ Hurdle March 11, 2026 THURSDAY’s card at the Cheltenham Festival sees us cross the halfway mark of proceedings, and it gets no easier for punters with a set of fiercely competitive handicaps and Graded races. The Stayers’ Hurdle (3.20pm) is no different with a smaller, but deep field assembled. There’s a mixture of older, proven horses with the likes [...]
Gen-Z swaps pints for gym memberships, fitness boss claims March 11, 2026 Gen-Z fitness fanatics are opting for gym memberships over pints as social media trends drive young Brits to socialise at the pull-up bar rather than the nightclub bar, the boss of The Gym Group has claimed. Will Orr, chief executive at the only London-listed gym provider, told City AM his gyms have seen a surge [...]
New digital V levels aim to bridge Britain’s AI skills gap March 11, 2026 The government’s new digital V-level is meant to solve two problems at once: the confusion of England’s post-16 qualifications system, and the growing mismatch between what young people learn and what employers now need. From 2027, ‘digital’ will be one of the first three V-level subjects offered alongside education and early years, alongside finance and [...]
After 250 years Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations is as relevant as ever March 11, 2026 The fourth of July 2026 will mark 250 years since the Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence. It’s a birthday that America will mark with gusto, even if today the world’s focus is on the US for reasons other than its founding fathers’ commitment to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But this [...]