Starmer sticks to youth minimum wage pledge despite jobs fears February 18, 2026 The government will stick to the Labour party’s manifesto commitment to equalise the minimum wage despite speculation it would row back on the pledge over unemployment fears, the Prime Minister has said. Speaking on Wednesday, Sir Keir Starmer said: “We’ve made commitments to young people in our manifesto, and we will keep to those commitments, [...]
Third of young Brits brew business ideas at the pub February 18, 2026 A third of young Brits have come up with a business idea over a pint at their local boozer, new research has revealed. Brits are finding unlikely entrepreneurial inspiration in pubs as 18 per cent of all people in the UK have had a light-bulb business moment here, according to new polling by GoDaddy. This [...]
What happens if workers start wearing Meta glasses to the office? February 18, 2026 Meta smart glasses are going from niche to norm, so what happens when people start wearing them in the office, asks Paul Armstrong.
Funding gap looms over Britain’s small businesses February 17, 2026 Record numbers of Brits are starting businesses, but innovation and export activity among small and medium-sized enterprises have fallen to a four-year low, as a looming funding gap threatens growth. The latest State of Small Business Britain report from the European Research Council (ERC) found that 36 per cent of working-age adults are running or [...]
Hospitality crisis pushed thousands of firms to shut in 2025 February 17, 2026 Thousands of hospitality industries were forced to call time last year, as soaring operating costs took their toll. The owners of 3,353 accommodation, food and drink firms entered insolvency proceedings in the twelve months to December 2025, according to the Buchler Phillips hospitality index. These insolvencies spell out the impact of food inflation and climbing [...]
Could Dutch-style wealth taxes be coming to Britain? February 17, 2026 Governments everywhere prefer revenue that can be framed as “fairness”. If the Dutch can make taxing gains as they accrue work without damaging long-term capital formation, it will not stay a Dutch story for long, says Helen Thomas The Netherlands has just approved a reform to its capital gains tax regime that is already sending [...]
Businesses to rush redundancies ahead of new Employment Rights changes February 17, 2026 Businesses plan to carry out a “clean up” of redundancies by the end of the year in anticipation of the Employment Rights Act coming into force next January. The government’s plan to remove the unfair dismissal cap in its Employment Rights Act will lead to more claims, especially among higher-earning employees. To avoid expensive layoffs [...]
Is AI really to blame for Britain’s rising unemployment? February 17, 2026 Unemployment has risen to 5.2 per cent, the highest level since 2021, as the UK’s labour market continues to cool. But how much of that stagnation can reasonably be attributed to AI? The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show the jobless rate climbed in the three months to December, while the number of [...]
Robert Jenrick clinches Treasury brief as Reform reveals ‘shadow cabinet’ February 17, 2026 Robert Jenrick will spearhead Reform UK’s bid to woo the City and project fiscal responsibility after the recent-defector beat peers to the party’s ‘shadow’ Treasury brief. The Newark MP – who defected to the Nigel Farage’s turquoise tribe in January – was unveiled as the Reform party’s ‘shadow chancellor’ as Farage appointed a host of [...]
Labour’s employment legislation and national insurance blamed for rising joblessness February 17, 2026 National insurance hikes and the employment rights act mean businesses are being forced to cut back on hiring, business leaders and analysts have said. The labour market continued to loosen at the end of last year, according to new Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, with unemployment climbing to 5.2 per cent between October and [...]