Britain’s problem isn’t too few ministers, it’s too much government March 17, 2026 A little scrutinised bill will allow the government to put even more ministers on the payroll, laments Eliot Wilson Yesterday, behind the impenetrable shield of public indifference, the House of Commons will take all stages of the Ministerial Salaries (Amendment) Bill. It was introduced without fanfare on Thursday 5 March and received the ritual First [...]
Why the Southwest 660 is the English coast at its finest March 17, 2026 The southern side of the Bristol Channel is one of the most attractive coastlines in Britain, easily accessible and yet still relatively little-visited, especially outside school holidays. With the bounties of both sea and land, it’s also a foodie paradise, as Sophie Ibbotson discovered. The key to this long weekend is to escape work as [...]
Business bosses told to check details after Companies House glitch March 15, 2026 Business directors are urged to check their details after a major glitch on Companies House allowed people to edit the data of other firms, leaving them potentially exposed to fraud. On Friday, a tech glitch on the UK’s official corporate register permitted people to access other companies’ details by pressing the back key on the [...]
Free speech is under threat in Germany March 13, 2026 Historian and City AM columnist Rainer Zitelmann finds himself in the crossfire of Germany’s free-speech debate I will turn 69 in June, and it is the first time in my life that I have come into conflict with the law. At the beginning of February I received a letter from the Berlin police: “Written statement [...]
Hiding MP staffer names is a bizarre decision post-Mandelson scandal March 13, 2026 Plans to remove the names of MP staffers from the official register will only make Westminster more opaque, writes Alastair McCapra.
Coats Releases 2025 Sustainability Report, Achieving Key 2026 Targets One Year Ahead of Schedule March 12, 2026 Company meets energy, waste and people targets early, reinforces commitment to sustainability leadership across apparel and footwear industry Achieved zero waste to landfill one year ahead of schedule and delivered a 30% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 emissions, surpassing 2026 target by nearly 40% Accelerated materials transition, with non-virgin oil-based options representing 52% of its primary raw materials, supported by launch of first Textile-to-Textile 100% recycled polyester thread under its T2T Epic™ and T2T Gramax™ brands Increased representation of women in senior leadership positions to 33% and secured Great Place to Work® coverage for 99% of its population, surpassing 2026 targets for both
John Lewis boss: Labour must keep pledge to reform business rates March 12, 2026 Labour must honour its manifesto promise to fundamentally reform the business rates system, John Lewis boss Jason Tarry has said. The retail chairman said the changes at last year’s Budget were positive for retail but offered a “short-term” fix to a system which unfairly disadvantages physical retailers as opposed to online shops. Chancellor Rachel Reeves [...]
‘Fibremaxxing’: How food manufacturers made fibre cool again March 12, 2026 “Fibremaxxing,” the UK’s new healthy eating trend, erupted at the start of 2026, as fibre replaced protein as the go-to fashionable food. Previously mundane, bland foods like prunes and seeded bread surged in popularity, with posts with the hashtags “fibremaxxing” having been viewed more than 150m times on TikTok. Sales of prunes increased 60 per [...]
Is the City still sexy? March 12, 2026 The era of the long boozy lunch and male dominated pints down the pub may be over, but relationships matter more than ever in the Square Mile, says Eva sayers Over glasses of red and lunch at The Quality Chop House (not recommended for vegetarians, like myself), a broker who’s been working in the City [...]
Mandelson wanted a near £550,000 payout – and got £75,000 March 11, 2026 Peter Mandelson demanded a £547,201 payout for the remainder of his time as UK ambassador to the US after being sacked, with a settlement of £75,000 being agreed with the Foreign Office, official documents have shown. In the first tranche of documents to be released by the government relating to Mandelson’s time as ambassador, it [...]