Productivity crisis deepens as public sector continues to stutter November 3, 2025 Public sector productivity has dropped at its fastest rate in nearly three years, according to fresh official figures that lay bare the government’s multi-year struggle to revive the efficiency of the country’s creaking public services. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed total productivity at state-owned bodies fell by 0.7 per cent year [...]
Private credit: Ponzi scheme or panacea? November 3, 2025 Over the past decade, the private credit industry has ballooned from arcane financial solution to a core pillar of asset management. But recent tremors in corporate debt markets have led several economic institutions to warn of its risks to the global economy. Ali Lyon asks: how worried should we be? What kept you awake at [...]
Facebook cuts 660 UK jobs as revenue nears record November 3, 2025 Facebook cut more than 600 UK jobs as its revenue passed the £3bn mark in 2024, it has been revealed. The London-headquartered arm of the US giant reduced its headcount from 6,338 to 5,679 during its latest financial year. The fall comes after Facebook’s UK headcount had stood at 7,053 at the end of 2022. [...]
Rachel Reeves considering ‘exit tax’ on wealthy Brits fleeing the UK November 3, 2025 Rachel Reeves is looking at a tax on wealthy Brits leaving the UK and a mansion tax, as last ditch levers to pull ahead of the Budget. The Times reported on a possible 20 per cent “settling-up charge” on business assets, which is the rate of Capital Gains Tax (CGT). It is thought that the [...]
Roll-on the World Cup! Spain’s young guns sign deal with Old Spice October 30, 2025 Not so long ago Old Spice was a punchline; a brand associated with a bygone era and reliant on an ageing – not to say, perishing – demographic. More recently it has tried to shake off this stuffy image, leaning into sports such as the NFL. This week made perhaps its most intriguing move yet: [...]
The Capitalist: City AM, sexing up the Budget since 2005 October 30, 2025 INSIDE OUR INAUGURAL SQUARE MILE AWARDSThe Square Mile gathered in force last week to celebrate… the Square Mile. It was our inaugural Toast the City Awards, and gongs were handed out to the City’s best restaurant, bar, green space, rooftop and much more. However, Piccolo Bar, the winners of the best sandwich accolade, weren’t to [...]
Fujitsu rakes in more public sector work after Post Office scandal October 30, 2025 The IT company at the heart of the Post Office scandal raked in nearly half a billion pounds in public sector contracts between 2024 and 2025, an increase on the previous year’s figure despite it having pledged not to bid for new government contracts. Fujitsu, whose faulty Horizon accounting system led to the wrongful convictions [...]
OpenAI eyes $1 trillion IPO as soon as 2026 October 30, 2025 OpenAI has begun preparations for a blockbuster float that could see the tech juggernaut valued at as much as $1 trillion (£750bn). The ChatGPT maker is understood to be considering filing IPO paperwork as soon as the second half of 2026, with the listing taking place later that year or early the following year. OpenAI [...]
Trump’s DEI crackdown sparks ethics exodus across UK businesses October 30, 2025 US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on initiatives such as diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) and environmental sustainability has drifted across the Atlantic. According to research by law firm Freeths, over half of UK businesses (54 per cent) have changed the way they approach ethical policies and practices. While over a quarter (28 per cent) have [...]
Business rates burden to disproportionately hit London offices October 28, 2025 The upcoming change in how business rates are calculated will affect far more office-based firms in London than elsewhere and may cause a rise in closures, according to a new report. The business tax reforms, scheduled for next April, will introduce a higher rate of payment for properties worth over £500,000. The new multiplier for [...]