UK firms ‘misallocate £10bn’ on HR departments, report says February 23, 2026 The UK’s human resources sector is twice the size of the EU’s and has led to firms misallocating as much as £10bn in capital, new research has suggested. A paper on the cost of diversity and equality agendas on businesses has argued that HR departments have grown at a disproportionate rate, with the UK having [...]
Reform vow to create new ‘wealth fund’ using pension schemes February 23, 2026 Reform UK has pledged to create a new “British Sovereign Wealth Fund” using local government pension schemes as part of Richard Tice’s first policy package as the party’s spokesman for business, trade and energy. Reform has vowed to wrap various arms of government, including housing and energy, into one office that focuses on growth, job [...]
‘I can do terrible things’: Trump launches fresh tariffs tirade February 23, 2026 The government has said that no response to Donald Trump’s revived trade onslaught is off the table, after the President warned he could still do “terrible things” to the US’s trading partners despite his ‘liberation day’ tariffs being deemed illegal by the Supreme Court. A spokesman for the Prime Minister told reporters that while “no [...]
Businesses continue to face legal uncertainty despite court ruling on tariffs February 23, 2026 When the US Supreme Court handed down a landmark judgment against President Donald Trump’s tariffs last week the ruling sent shockwaves across the world, raising questions about what is next for businesses. On Friday, the Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 Conservative majority, struck down the tariffs, which could pose major financial consequences for the [...]
Police arrest Lord Mandelson February 23, 2026 Peter Mandelson has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, weeks after the police launched an investigation into the former Labour peer over his relations with Jeffrey Epstein. The Met police said in a statement they had arrested a 72-year-old man in Camden. Mandelson was pictured being taken out of his house. A [...]
Admiral pubs boss: business rates will ‘kill off the high street’ February 23, 2026 The boss of a northern-based pubs company has claimed business rates will “kill off” the high street as well as pubs unless the levy is fundamentally reformed. Chris Jowsey, chief executive of Admiral Taverns, told Morning Wire the government must deliver on its pledge to overhaul the business rates system, which he said “penalises bricks [...]
Economy bogged down by low-performing firms February 23, 2026 The UK economy is suffering from an ever-lengthening tail of low productivity businesses, according to a new report from BCG. Between 1997 and 2023, the number of firms below the 25th productivity percentile nearly doubled, rising from 444,500 to 873,000, while the total number of firms increased by 70 per cent. At the other end [...]
Nvidia results to test strength of rocketing AI spend February 23, 2026 In the wake of the recent Anthropic-driven sell-off in software stocks, Nvidia’s earnings report on Wednesday will serve as a key litmus test for the extraordinary growth fuelling the AI buildout. The chip behemoth, now almost synonymous with the AI boom, is expected to post revenue of between $65.6bn (£48.48bn) and $65.9bn for the quarter [...]
Big Four giant Deloitte forms $20bn EMEA unit amid tech disruption February 23, 2026 Deloitte, one of the Big Four, plans to launch a Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) firm, aiming to build a regional powerhouse that keeps pace with rapid technological change. After a successful partner vote, Deloitte announced on Monday that the new EMEA firm will launch in June 2026. Deloitte EMEA will bring together 16 [...]
Former Amazon boss to keep CMA chair February 23, 2026 Doug Gurr has been confirmed as the government’s preferred candidate to continue in the role of chair of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Gurr, a former boss of Amazon UK, was parachuted into the role on an interim basis last January, but will now complete a full five-year term. Business Secretary Peter Kyle said [...]