‘A good first step’: Construction industry largely in support of the planning bill March 12, 2025 The government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill entered Parliament yesterday, March 11, and has already provoked strong responses from the construction industry. So far, these responses have been largely positive, with praise for the government’s efforts to streamline the UK’s overstretched and over-regulated planning system. Stuart Evans, partner and head of planning at Anthony Collins, said there [...]
Financial watchdogs ditch DEI regulation and ‘name and shame’ plans March 12, 2025 The UK’s two main financial watchdogs have ditched plans to impose diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) targets on City institutions amid a government push to put Britain’s regulators on a growth footing. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) announced on Wednesday that in light of the “broad range” of feedback and [...]
PWC cuts partners and apprenticeships amid slow demand March 12, 2025 Consulting giant PWC UK has made record cuts to its partner ranks and paused its tech apprenticeship scheme to protect partner profits in the face of a sharp decline in consulting demand. According to corporate filings, 123 partners left the Big Four firm in 2024, more than double the annual average since 2002. Meanwhile, the [...]
RSA: More Than sale helps insurance giant to huge profit March 12, 2025 Insurance giant RSA has surged back into the black after selling the More Than brand as its revenue jumped by more than £350m. The London-headquartered group, which dates back over 300 years, has reported a pre-tax profit of £195m for 2024. The new figure comes after RSA posted a pre-tax loss of £19m in 2023. [...]
Reeves told to scrap ‘jobs tax’ after headline figures questioned March 12, 2025 A fresh row has erupted just weeks before Rachel Reeves‘ national insurance tax hike comes into effect after the Treasury’s headline figures were scrutinized. When announcing her 1.2 per cent hike to employers’ national insurance contributions (NIC) at the Autumn Budget, Reeves said it would raise “£25bn per year by the end of the forecast period.” [...]
MIPIM: Sadiq Khan hails ‘perfect time’ to invest in London March 11, 2025 Sadiq Khan has said London’s “weather has changed” as he flew the flag for the capital at a major property conference in France. The mayor of London attended Europe’s biggest real estate trade show – Le Marché international des professionnels de l’immobilier, or MIPIM – in Cannes for the first time, just two weeks after [...]
Labour’s Employment Rights Bill is ignoring the voice of business March 11, 2025 Labour's Employment Rights Bill will stop businesses taking chances on those who need them most, writes Michael Lorimer.
Manchester United reveal plans for Britain’s biggest stadium March 11, 2025 Manchester United have revealed plans to build Britain’s biggest stadium, a £2bn 100,000-capacity venue to replace Old Trafford that will sit at the heart of a “miniature city of the future”. New conceptual images of the venue show an “umbrella” canopy with three spikes, a nod to the prongs of the devil’s trident on the [...]
Is nanotech the next big iceberg for business? March 11, 2025 Nanotechnology is being hailed as the next medical revolution, promising everything from precision drug delivery to real-time disease tracking. The same advancements that could wipe out chronic illnesses, however, also open the door to unprecedented biosecurity risks, says Paul Armstrong The fifth anniversary of Covid-19 was a reminder of how fragile global health systems remain [...]
What’s in the government’s new planning reform bill? March 10, 2025 The government has promised to unleash the biggest building boom in a generation through its wide-ranging planning reform bill, which will head into parliament today. Drafted in response to a crisis which has seen a massive shortage of affordable housing, as well as rising house prices and rents to due undersupply, the bill intends to [...]