Awful April: brace for a wave of stealth tax rises March 31, 2026 April is upon us and the new tax year will usher in a range of tax hikes, despite the absence of any headline rate rises, with frozen thresholds, shrinking allowances and tighter reliefs set to hit families, workers and savers. The harsh impact will also be felt as Brits are hit with a wave of [...]
Fresha Becomes the Software Infrastructure of Choice for Multi-location Selfcare Businesses as Enterprise Growth Surges March 31, 2026 Fresha, the top-rated AI-powered booking platform for beauty and wellness, is witnessing significant enterprise growth as multi-location and large-team businesses increasingly choose Fresha to manage and scale their operations. Leading well-established brands, including Menspire, Ted’s Grooming Room, Gould Barbers, Masaj, Adams Barbers, The Art of Nails, and more, are among a growing cohort of enterprise [...]
Andy Haldane: My mission to ignite Britain’s animal spirits March 31, 2026 As the Bank of England’s chief economist, Andy Haldane had a front row seat to the maladies of UK’s sluggish economy. After a four-year stint running the RSA, he is back as president of the British Chambers of Commerce, and tells Ali Lyon business is still taxed mindlessly, over regulated, and far too risk averse. [...]
LeBron, McIlroy, Ronaldo in $575m Whoop raise at $10bn valuation March 31, 2026 LeBron James, Rory McIlroy and Cristiano Ronaldo are among a group of athletes part of a $575m raise that values wearable technology firm Whoop at $10.1bn. The Series G funding round, raising over $500m, is led by the likes of the Audi Formula 1 investors Qatar Investment Authority and Saudi Aramco Oil Pipelines stakeholders the [...]
Britain is still paying a heavy price for Covid lockdowns March 31, 2026 Six years on from the first lockdown, Britain hasn’t returned to its pre-Covid path – instead becoming a high-tax, low-growth less free nation, says Alex Pugh A little over six years ago, 27m people watched UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tell them to “stay home” to tackle the spread of coronavirus. Johnson said you should [...]
More harm than good? Minimum wage hikes kick in from April March 31, 2026 With April approaching plenty of conversations have focused on the end of the tax year, with people scrambling to utilise their ISA allowances, but the month also brings about a pay rise for millions of Brits – and increased costs for employers. The national minimum wage will increase from 1 April, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves [...]
Blackrock mulls a move to HSBC’s Canary Wharf tower March 31, 2026 Blackrock is mulling a move to HSBC’s Canary Wharf skyscraper with the site one of a number of locations viewed by the firm as it scouts for a new London headquarters. The world’s largest asset manager has taken a look at the 8 Canada Square tower, which HSBC is set to vacate next year. But [...]
UK economy grew 1.4 per cent in 2025 March 31, 2026 The UK economy grew 1.4 per cent in 2025, official data has shown as data analysts nudged up the estimate for the year. The Office for National Statistics has confirmed that the UK economy grew more than originally thought but growth slowed down radically as the year passed. It found that GDP increased by 0.1 [...]
As KPMG looks to cut hundreds of staff, expect more layoffs at the Big Four March 31, 2026 The Big Four giants, after hitting pandemic-era highs, are currently navigating a perfect storm of challenges: a harsher market, a surge in AI investment and a stagnant economy. These pressures are forcing firms to take a pair of shears to their workforces as the industry’s traditional “attrition model” fails to keep pace with reality. Over [...]
UK bond markets are dangerously exposed March 31, 2026 Many of the forces shaping the bond market are beyond any single government’s control. The combination of higher inflation, weaker growth and increased debt issuance is driving a global repricing of sovereign bonds, says Helen Thomas The global bond market is entering an increasingly precarious phase, shaped by the early stages of what looks like [...]