Lib Dems: Starmer has gone ‘cap in hand’ to China despite spy threats January 28, 2026 Keir Starmer has been accused of going “cap in hand” to China, piling further criticism on the government’s trade ambitions with a country that has backed hacking operations against the UK. Liberal Democrats deputy leader Daisy Cooper demanded deputy prime minister David Lammy, who stood in for Starmer at PMQs, to name a “single consequence” [...]
Private market allocations reach record high as investors pump in £4.7 trillion January 28, 2026 Global private market allocations from institutional investors have reached record highs, with many planning to increase their allocations over the next few years. Private markets have risen to represent 12.5 per cent of overall portfolio allocations, accounting for $6.5 trillion (£4.7 trillion) of assets under management, according to the latest study from Aviva Investors. North [...]
Is Musk’s SpaceX IPO date written in the stars? January 28, 2026 SpaceX may be aiming for the stars in more ways than one as Elon Musk has floated the idea of timing the rocket maker’s IPO to coincide with a rare planetary alignment, as well as his own birthday. The tentative window is mid-June, when Jupiter and Venus will appear unusually close together in the night sky, a [...]
Tyson Fury’s comeback fight will be broadcast on Netflix January 28, 2026 Netflix will broadcast its first ever live event from the United Kingdom when Tyson Fury exits retirement to take on Arslanbek Makhmudov. The card has been scheduled for 11 April with the location as yet unknown, but the bout has been agreed in conjunction with boxing’s latest tycoon Turki Alalshikh and his magazine, The Ring. [...]
Easyjet rebuked over ‘misleading’ £5.99 cabin bag deal January 28, 2026 Easyjet has been warned by the advertising watchdog over a “misleading” tab on its website which suggested that passengers could get a large cabin bag ‘from £5.99’. The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) said it had not seen “sufficient evidence” that it was possible to book large cabin bags at this price across a range of [...]
Professional services firms facing ‘polycrisis of confidence’ January 28, 2026 A major study of C-suite attitudes among professional services firms has revealed a complicated landscape of increasing AI use, growth fears, worries about cash flow and concerns over staff motivation. According to the Managing Partners Forum Winter 2025 Quarterly, shared exclusively with Morning Wire, all firms surveyed have integrated Gen AI into their daily operations, but [...]
High Court grants urgent hearing on Labour’s inheritance tax overhaul January 28, 2026 The High Court has green-lit an urgent hearing at the High Court over the government’s inheritance tax raid on agricultural assets and family firms. The proposed changes to agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR) represent one of the biggest shifts in UK inheritance tax (IHT) policy in decades, following the government’s initial [...]
Hakluyt taps Lord Sedwill and Economist’s Lara Boro for board roles January 28, 2026 Lord Mark Sedwill and the Economist Group’s chief executive officer have joined the board of strategic advisory firm Hakluyt. Lord Sedwill, the former cabinet secretary and head of the Home Civil Service under both Prime Ministers Theresa May and Boris Johnson, also served as a national security adviser. The company describes him as “one of [...]
LIV Golf lands Rolex partnership in major boost ahead of fifth season January 28, 2026 LIV Golf has struck another blow in its battle for mainstream recognition by securing the backing of one of the sport’s biggest sponsors, Rolex. The luxury watch brand, which already has deals with the leading men’s and women’s majors, tours and both the Ryder and Solheim Cups, has become an official partner of the LIV [...]
Banks cool on interest rate cut expectations amid forecasting clash January 28, 2026 Top City banks have pushed back their predictions for the Bank of England’s next interest rate cut as forecasters are split on whether high inflation could upend monetary policy decisions. UBS Investment Bank economist Anna Titareva pushed back a call for the Bank’s next cut from February to March after the Office for National Statistics [...]