Greg Jackson: London IPO a ‘no brainer’ if capital flows reverse January 19, 2026 Octopus chief Greg Jackson has said choosing London as the destination for the blockbuster IPO of tech spin-off Kraken would be a “no brainer” if the exchange maintains its world-leading performance in 2025 and demonstrates it can lure fresh capital into the UK. In the biggest signal yet that the firm may select London over [...]
Ministers to change UK merger rules in bid to speed up deals January 18, 2026 Whitehall is preparing a fundamental reset of the UK’s merger control regime, as ministers seek to accelerate deal-making and strip back some red tape for businesses. The Department for Business and Trade is expected to outline plans this week that would significantly change how the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) reviews takeovers and sector-wide competition [...]
Government injects £120m into Ineos’s Grangemouth plant December 17, 2025 The government has piled over £100m into Britain’s last remaining ethylene plant in Grangemouth, saving hundreds of livelihoods after its owner warned that sky-high energy costs had left it on the brink of closure. Ministers inked a “landmark partnership” with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos on Wednesday to secure the future of the Falkirk plant, which [...]
Employment Rights Bill will become law – as Tories vow to repeal it December 16, 2025 The controversial Employment Rights Bill will become law after legislation cleared Parliament on Tuesday afternoon. After weeks of the Bill ping-ponging from the House of Lords to the Commons over controversial ‘day one’ rights, the government agreed earlier this month to drop its pledge of ‘day one’ rights in exchange for certain protections kicking in [...]
Business chiefs back Employment Rights Bill progression despite ‘concerns’ December 15, 2025 Business leaders have called on parliament to pass the Employment Rights Bill after it secured a compromise on day one rights for unfair dismissal. Six industry groups have written a joint letter to business secretary Peter Kyle stating their support for parliamentarians to pass the bill. The letter now puts pressure on crossbench peers and [...]
Employment Rights Bill: Labour moves to scrap compensation cap for unfair dismissal December 5, 2025 Businesses could face unlimited compensation for unfair dismissal claims as Labour seeks to appease unions after it abandoned ‘day one’ rights last week. After weeks of Employment Rights Bill ping-ponging over the controversial ‘day one’ rights, the government agreed last week to drop its pledge of ‘day one’ rights in exchange for rights over six [...]
UK and US agree to zero tariff deal on pharmaceuticals December 1, 2025 The government has agreed to a major deal with Washington that will see the UK become the only country to secure zero import tariffs on pharmaceutical products into the US for at least three years. The deal follows months of negotiations between the government and the Trump administration, after the June trade deal left the [...]
Labour U-turns on workers’ rights manifesto pledge November 27, 2025 The government has reversed its contentious plans to hand all new staff protection from unfair dismissal from day one, after months of warnings about the workers’ rights package from industry and fierce political resistance from the House of Lords. Under revised proposals announced by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) on Thursday, the protection [...]
Labour faces setback as Lords boots back workers’ rights Bill October 29, 2025 The Employment Rights Bill failed to clear the final hurdle, as the House of Lords ping-ponged it back to MPs for further debate over disputed points, including the controversial granting of ‘day one’ rights. The highly contested Bill, which was a significant part of Labour’s manifesto, will see a major overhaul in the UK’s employment [...]
Labour’s payments regulation overhaul more ‘reshuffle than reform’ October 28, 2025 The Labour government’s plan for a payments system revolution has fallen flat, a top trade body has warned, despite the Treasury’s promise of an “ambitious rethink” of regulatory structure. Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled her National Payments Vision (NPV) in her 2024 Mansion House address where she said the plan would include “decisive action to progress [...]