Reform MP James McMurdock removes party whip ‘from himself’ over Covid loans investigation July 5, 2025 Reform MP James McMurdock has suspended himself as chief whip following a Sunday Times investigation into his misuse of Covid-19 government loans. McMurdock, who has represented South Basildon and East Thurrock since last July’s general election, is alleged to have borrowed tens of thousands of pounds under the government’s Bounce Back loans scheme, according to a [...]
Corporate Pride, where art thou gone? July 5, 2025 Sure, Corporate Pride was far from perfect, but I'd take the rainbow lanyards over silence, writes Geraldine Gallacher.
Exclusive: Starmer and Macron assemble top bosses for summit July 4, 2025 Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are planning to bring together 20 of their countries’ top business leaders for a cross-sector gathering as part of the French President’s first state visit to the UK, City AM can reveal. Set to take place on Wednesday, chief executives and founders from France and Britain will convene in London [...]
Apollo-backed group makes £5.7bn swoop for Pension Insurance Corporation July 4, 2025 Athora – the European insurance group backed by US private equity giant Apollo – has struck a £5.7bn takeover deal for the UK’s Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC). The acquisition will create a group with combined assets worth near £112m and covering the pensions of more than three million people across Europe. The takeover marks one [...]
CBI on hunt for Soames successor July 3, 2025 The CBI has kicked off its hunt for a new chair to succeed Rupert Soames, the man credited with saving the lobby group from the brink of collapse. The UK’s business industry body has enlisted headhunters to help with the search for Soames’ successor in one of the most prominent roles in corporate Britain. Soames, [...]
Relief for startups as government U-turns on onerous Companies House rules July 3, 2025 Small businesses are breathing a sigh of relief after it emerged the government is set to U-turn on the introduction of new onerous Companies House rules. The new rules, which were due to come into effect in April 2027, would have required small and micro companies to disclose their profit and loss statements for the [...]
Business pressures forcing lawyers to become advice jugglers July 3, 2025 British businesses are facing several pressures across the board, forcing them to turn to their lawyers seeking more than just legal advice
Mark Kleinman: BP risks being left a Shell without new chair July 3, 2025 BP risks being left a Shell without new chair A not-so-supermajor? Speculation about a Shell tilt at BP to establish a £200bn oil and gas behemoth has been running wild since a Bloomberg News report in May that the Anglo-Dutch group was “studying” such a move. Last week, that speculation lurched into overdrive, when the [...]
Labour versus the bond markets, businesses and ballots July 3, 2025 Birthdays aren’t best celebrated on a hangover but Labour’s senior leaders will be waking up with a painful headache this morning after haemorrhaging support from both bond markets and backbenchers. As dozens of Labour MPs discovered the level of influence they held over whips in parliament, unsympathetic bond traders flexed their own powers as medium-term [...]
M&A volumes jump as US bidders snap up UK tech July 2, 2025 US private equity firms are continuing to swoop for UK tech companies leading to a jump in merger and acquisition (M&A) volumes. Giants from across the Atlantic have taken a heightened interest in UK stock, which analysts pegged to the “cheap and undervalued” nature of equities. UK public M&A activity almost tripled in the first [...]