Why is the pharmaceutical industry turning its back on the UK? September 18, 2025 Since coming into power last year, Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer have consistently stressed the importance of the life science sector to the UK economy, viewing it as critical for growth. In its aim to boost the industry’s standing, Labour pledged to make the UK an attractive place for investment and innovation, and to increase [...]
City of London unveils £600m Justice Hub at Salisbury Square September 18, 2025 The City of London Corporation is topping out the new flagship building, dubbed London’s new ‘Justice Quarter’, which features 18 courtrooms at Salisbury Square. The City’s £600m investment, which will serve as the new headquarters for the City of London Police, aims to enhance capacity in the criminal justice system, resulting in faster outcomes for [...]
Surinder Arora: Heathrow could be the next Thames Water September 17, 2025 Surinder Arora is the man bidding to break a decades-old monopoly by winning the right to build Heathrow’s third runway. With the government’s first remarks on proposals expected this month, he sits down with Ali Lyon to discuss the merits of his proposal, the reasons behind it, and why he thinks that – without urgent [...]
Why public markets are a public good September 17, 2025 Far from being irrelevant, UK public equity markets are a vital public good essential for tax revenue, corporate transparency, and economic growth, which requires urgent tax reforms to encourage companies to list and remain in the UK, says Charles Hall There is a school of thought that thinks public equity markets are relatively unimportant and [...]
Fraud prevention firm SEON raises $80m amid growing compliance demands September 16, 2025 SEON, an AI-driven fraud prevention and compliance platform, has closed an $80m (£58.7m) Series C funding round led by Sixth Street Growth, bringing total investment to $187m. The company, based in Budapest and Austin, analyses tens of millions of customer interactions daily for clients including Revolut, Plaid, Spotify, Afterpay, and Entain. Its platform, delivered via [...]
Big pharma’s devastating retreat from the UK September 16, 2025 Merck and AstraZeneca’s withdrawal from UK investment is a warning signal to Rachel Reeves – but is she listening? Asks Oliver Dean Both AstraZeneca and Merck’s decision to abandon their respective UK expansions is more than a corporate setback. It is a catastrophic loss of jobs, investment and future innovation and the public are now [...]
The UK film industry isn’t ready for AI animation September 16, 2025 Critterz is a fully AI-generated animated film made for a fraction of what Disney or Dreamworks would spend on a comparable feature, says Paul Armstrong OpenAI has chosen film as the next showcase for what its models can do, backing Critterz, a fully AI-generated animated feature scheduled for release in 2026 and aiming for a [...]
Toast the City: Steel Yard founder tells us why his venue should win September 15, 2025 Our Toast the City Awards are celebrating the City’s top spots and takes place this October. This week: The Steel Yard music venue. The finalists have been announced for the inaugural Toast the City Awards, with the finest restaurants, bars, green spaces and more being whittled down to just a handful of names. Now it’s your chance [...]
Elon Musk’s payday could top $1tn with Tesla shares deal September 15, 2025 Elon Musk, already the world’s richest man, is at the centre of a corporate controversy after Tesla’s board proposed a $1tn (£820bn) compensation package – the largest in corporate history. The ten-year plan, designed to incentivise Musk to focus on his EV business, would reward the chief executive with 12 tranches of shares, if Tesla [...]
Taxing business is not the way to win the investment race September 15, 2025 Attracting investment is all about sending the right signals, and that starts with tax policy, says Chris Hayward Party conference season brings warm white wine, beige food and late nights. These festivals of politics tend to be high in rhetoric and low in substance. Businesses across the Square Mile seek more of the latter and [...]