Is Labour’s Planning Bill putting private equity at risk? May 16, 2025 It’s not just conservationists who are up in arms about the watering down of environmental protections in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the private markets are concerned too, says Robert Oates There’s an irony at the heart of the UK government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill: in its rush to accelerate the development of 1.5m new [...]
Why are Brits hoarding cash? May 15, 2025 Like Tolkein’s Gollum, Brits like to hoard their assets, opting for the security of cash over equity based investments. Barclays estimates that £430bn in investable funds—cash exceeding six months’ salary—are held in bank accounts rather than funnelled into the stock market. This begs the question: why are British investors so devoted to an asset which [...]
Week in Business: Small glass of champagne for Reeves? May 15, 2025 There was some welcome economic growth in Q1 but it's in the rear view mirror; is there any on the horizon?
China could gatecrash Starmer’s diplomatic party May 15, 2025 Keir Starmer has repeatedly said that the UK doesn’t need to choose between strengthening economic and trade ties with the US and deepening them with the EU. A few weeks ago, concern was growing in Whitehall that if the UK didn’t strike a deal with America then the chance of a tariff rapprochement could be [...]
Sadiq Khan’s green belt U-turn is an admission of failure on housing May 15, 2025 Sadiq Khan is spinning his plan to build on London’s green belt as a “radical change of approach”, but it’s nothing of the sort. It will have a very limited impact on housing starts during this mayoral term and may only add to the political heat around house building, says James Ford Margaret Thatcher famously [...]
The only organisations that should fear whistleblowers are those with something to hide May 15, 2025 UK businesses should welcome, not fear, proposed legislation to strengthen protections for whistleblowers, says Peter Tutton The Horizon scandal, grooming gangs, vehicle safety cover-ups – all these issues have made headlines over the past year. The common thread is the involvement of whistleblowers – either in exposing the scandal or providing critical evidence to prevent [...]
How the big four banks are proving private capital can drive social change May 15, 2025 Better Society Capital has unlocked £4bn in social investment over 12 years, proving how public-private collaboration can tackle the UK’s most complex challenges – from housing to healthcare. Here’s why it’s time for more investors to step up, says James Chew In 2011, the UK’s four largest banks – Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and NatWest – [...]
What do Labour-Reform switchers want? It’s not what you think May 15, 2025 Voters who have left Labour for Reform are more pro-European than the general public with nearly three quarters wanting a much closer relationship with the EU, finds Praful Nargund Tough rhetoric and tighter rules from the Prime Minister are all designed to neutralise one of the most volatile issues in British politics: immigration. But behind [...]
Trade wars: how will tariffs really affect the global economy? May 15, 2025 Separate the signal from the noise on tariffs and the damage done, thus far, is not significant. However that doesn’t mean all is well, says George Lagarias In all the trade war noise, it is easy to miss just how much global trade conditions have deteriorated in the last few months. If, one year ago, [...]
The Capitalist: This isn’t just blackmail, it’s M&S blackmail May 15, 2025 Embarrassing Ed Miliband, dream dinner party guests and window taxes, catch up with the latest gossip from the Square Mile M&S is clearly playing by the book in its response to the crippling cyber attack launched on its systems over Easter, with talk of a £100m insurance claim to help them get over the losses. [...]