We’re being taxed out of existence, companies warn July 6, 2026 Investment by British businesses has fallen to its lowest level since the pandemic as companies warn they are being “taxed out of existence”, one of Britain’s biggest business groups has found. The proportion of firms planning to increase investment fell to just 17 per cent in the second quarter, down from 21 per cent in [...]
Burnham’s high street tax plan carries £880m price tag July 6, 2026 Andy Burnham’s plans to overhaul business rates in favour of Britain’s high streets could cost around £880m a year, according to new analysis, as questions mount over how the Labour leadership frontrunner would pay for one of his first major tax reforms. Forecasts by global tax firm Ryan suggest Burnham’s proposal to expand Small Business [...]
Andy Burnham says he will put essential services back under ‘stronger’ public control July 4, 2026 Andy Burnham has said he will set out a “new approach” to put essential services back under “stronger public control”. In an “ask me anything” session on online forum Reddit on Friday, Burnham, who is expected to be Starmer’s successor, confirmed he will look into placing services back under public control in an attempt to [...]
Goodwood Festival of Speed 2026 Preview July 3, 2026 The Goodwood Festival of Speed will return to Goodwood House this month. Here’s everything you need to know. West Sussex in summer is usually a study in tranquillity, defined by the gentle rustle of leaves in the South Downs and the quiet allure of hidden public gardens. It is a landscape designed for long, languid [...]
Carbon credits are moving up the boardroom agenda July 1, 2026 Over the past six years, climate commitments have quietly become a mainstream feature of corporate strategy. Since 2019, the number of Fortune Global 500 (FG500) companies with at least one climate commitment has tripled, rising from 24 per cent to 72 per cent. Collectively, these companies represent more than a third of global GDP. But [...]
City launches new Digital ID framework against AI fraud June 30, 2026 The City of London Corporation has unveiled plans for a new digital identity framework it claims could unlock more than £5bn for the UK economy, as policymakers and the financial sector race to tackle increasingly sophisticated AI-enabled fraud. A blueprint published on Tuesday proposes a “Digital Verification Orchestrator”, or DVO – a system set to [...]
Sainsbury’s boss urges Burnham to cut energy costs and ‘focus on growth’ June 30, 2026 The boss of Sainsbury’s has urged the next prime minister to address rising energy costs as food inflation continues to concern shoppers. The boss of the UK’s second-largest grocer repeated his earlier calls for the Treasury to engage with the food industry to assist with rising costs following the war in the Middle East. His [...]
‘Biggest change in our lifetime’ – Burnham vows ‘greater public control’ over utilities June 29, 2026 Andy Burnham has vowed to empower local government to take “greater public control” over energy, housing, water and transport as councils are set to be handed greater powers as part of sweeping economic and political reform. In a speech on Monday setting out his 10-year vision to raise living standards, the likely next Prime Minister [...]
Heatwave fans demand for aircon stocks June 26, 2026 Investors have been piling into air conditioning stocks as global heatwaves and the spread of data centres drive demand for cooling systems. Shares in global leading heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) firms have recorded sharp increases in recent months, with Tokyo-listed Daikin Industries up 23.91 per cent to 24,050.00 yen (£118.50) since the start [...]
Miliband would be ‘disaster’ as Chancellor, says Labour cost of living chief June 26, 2026 Keir Starmer’s cost of living champion has warned that Ed Miliband would be a “disaster” as Andy Burnham’s Chancellor. Lord Richard Walker, who is also executive chairman of budget supermarket Iceland, told BBC Newsnight that the current energy secretary’s net-zero policies are putting an undue burden on household bills. He said: “Climate change is real, [...]