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, [...]
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.
FCA chief: We can’t solve every problem with new rules February 18, 2026 The Financial Conduct Authority will avoid introducing fresh rules as its stock response to new forms of market failure, its boss has said, as the regulator looks to avoid time-consuming consultation processes and speed up its action. Nikhil Rathi told the Fairer Finance podcast that “not every problem can be solved quickly” by the watchdog [...]
John Lewis boosts staff pay despite losses February 18, 2026 Retail giant John Lewis has announced a £108m investment in staff pay despite losses at the retail giant tripling over its last financial year. The John Lewis Partnership, which also owns supermarket Waitrose, announced on Wednesday it will hike shop floor pay by 6.9 per cent, which it says will boost the pay packet of [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Hamilton Lane’s Erik Hirsch: We’re seeing a private credit witch hunt February 17, 2026 Depending on which central banking chief you talk to, the burgeoning private credit industry is either a cause of insomnia, a “dark corner” of finance or an arcane lending practice whose participants are behaving like bankers in the run-up to the global financial crisis. To Hamilton Lane boss Erik Hirsch, though, it is simply an [...]
Milano Cortina Winter Olympics: How much is a gold medal worth? February 17, 2026 Top City insurers have revealed the value of a Milano Cortina Winter Olympics gold medal as Britain enjoys a flurry of top gongs so far in Italy. Matt Weston has picked up two gold medals in the skeleton, one of which was in the mixed team sliding event with compatriot Tabitha Stoecker. And duo Charlotte [...]
Endava Partners with Miro to Drive Innovative New Model for AI Transformation February 17, 2026 Strategic partnership embeds Miro AI platform across Endava's global offering to strengthen its AI-native delivery model
FICO UK Credit Card Market Report: December 2025 February 17, 2026 Continued financial pressures evident as balances reach highest level since FICO records began