City sounds alarm on £40bn foreign M&A offensive targeting ‘cheap’ UK firms May 15, 2026 A group of City grandees has sounded the alarm on the wave of foreign firms picking off rivals from London’s stock market, after a flurry of unsolicited offers took the combined value of UK companies poised to leave Britain’s ailing bourse to £43bn. Some 22 listed companies have already accepted or received bids that would [...]
Championship clubs up promotion gamble by adopting new financial rules May 15, 2026 Loss-making Championship clubs have raised the stakes in their £1.2bn gamble to reach the Premier League by voting in new financial rules. Teams in the second tier have agreed to adopt a framework based on squad cost ratio (SCR), similar to those set to be implemented in the top division, from next season. The new [...]
AI is driving McKinsey’s business model and talent overhaul May 15, 2026 McKinsey & Company’s business model is changing to prioritise performance-based pay, a shift largely driven by the impact of AI, Morning Wire understands. The Big Three consulting giant has told senior staff it plans to overhaul its remuneration structure for partners, with more of their pay potentially coming in the form of equity in the US-headquartered partnership. [...]
The Super scaler playbook: What Sam Smith wants every founder to know May 15, 2026 Morning Wire proudly partnered with SCALE EXPO & SUMMIT on 22 April. ScaleUp Institute CEO Irene Graham sat down with Sam Smith, entrepreneur, former finnCap CEO, and founder of the Super Scalers. Their candid conversation, around ‘Growth, Myths and Mindset Shifts’, covered what it really takes to scale a business to £50 million and beyond, [...]
Tesco boss Ken Murphy took £1m pay rise in grocer’s bumper year May 15, 2026 Ken Murphy, the boss of Tesco, took a more-than £1m pay rise this year, bringing his total pay packet to £10.8m in the year the grocer solidified its dominant position in the market. The chief executive of the supermarket giant’s total pay packet for the 2025/26 year included £1.5m in basic pay, a £3.4m bonus [...]
Hearts: Fan ownership, Tony Bloom and upsetting the Old Firm status quo May 15, 2026 A decade ago Leicester City beat odds of 5000/1 to win the Premier League. Hearts could replicate that level of upset on Saturday in the Scottish Premiership. Because for the first time since 1985 one of Rangers or Celtic may not lift the title. Forty years ago it was Aberdeen under Sir Alex Ferguson, this [...]
Satisfaction: Mick Jagger prevails in bid to block Battersea tower May 15, 2026 Rock star Sir Mick Jagger has won a two-year planning battle to block a controversial 29-storey tower in Battersea, proving you can get what you want. The Rolling Stones frontman had been joined by a host of stars including guitarist Eric Clapton, actress Felicity Kendall and comedian Harry Hill in opposing the development. A planning [...]
M&S eyes up Brits’ weekly shops as food arm set to expand May 15, 2026 Marks & Spencer has not been shy over its ambition to conquer the British weekly shop, and the retail giant is nearing a crucial update on its foray into the UK’s fiercely competitive grocery market. M&S Food accounts for more than half (54 per cent) of the retailer’s revenues, and its recent warehouse expansions suggest [...]
Top UK business groups pledge to combat rise of antisemitism May 15, 2026 More than 40 of the UK’s leading business organisations have issued a joint statement rallying against antisemitism, stating is has reached a level that requires “specific attention”. An open letter signed by the likes of from the British Chambers of Commerce, the CBI, and the Federation of Small Businesses calls for business leaders across the [...]
Burnham return attempt ushers new borrowing cost record May 15, 2026 Manchester mayor Andy Burnham’s attempt to return to parliament has alarmed traders as gilt yields reached another 28-year high, beating last week’s high. Burnham overcame the first hurdle on his path towards becoming Prime Minister after Josh Simons, the MP for Makerfield, announced he would resign on Thursday night to let the Manchester mayor try [...]