‘It’s not a fair fight’: HMV boss issues Rachel Reeves Autumn Budget tax demand September 8, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been urged to reform business rates in the Autumn Budget by the boss of HMV. Phil Halliday, in an up-coming episode of Morning Wire‘s Boardroom Uncovered show, said the current system should be altered to make it fairer for UK retailers. The managing director added that businesses such as HMV are [...]
Labour deputy leader hopeful slams Rachel Reeves’ ‘excessive deference’ to OBR September 8, 2025 The prominent backbencher and former transport secretary Louise Haigh, who is a frontrunner to become the deputy leader of the Labour Party, has taken aim at Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ “excessive deference” to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) and adhering to “arbitrary fiscal targets”. Senior officials in the Labour Party are set to agree on [...]
Phoenix Group: FTSE 100 giant changes name to Standard Life September 8, 2025 Pensions giant Phoenix Group is set to change its name to Standard Life as it adopts the name of the brand it acquired seven years ago. It follows widespread speculation that the board had been considering a name change. The firm stated that Standard Life was its most reputable name and that the change would [...]
London hiring slumps as employers suffer from rising costs September 8, 2025 London hiring has continued its steep decline as employers suffer the consequences of Reeves’ tax raid and rising costs. The latest jobs report from KPMG and the REC showed demand for workers in the capital has “continued to deteriorate” with both permanent placements and temp billings slumping further. Permanent staff places, hires with no fixed [...]
Cabinet reshuffle: Lucy Rigby replaces Emma Reynolds as City minister September 6, 2025 Former solicitor general Lucy Rigby has been made Economic Secretary to the Treasury, a role often called the City minister, in the latest development in Starmer’s reshuffle. Rigby replaces Emma Reynolds, a former City lobbyist who had held the role since last July but who has now become environment secretary. In a post on X, Rigby said she was [...]
Private equity deals bounce back after sluggish start to the year September 5, 2025 UK private equity deals bounced back in the later stage of the first half of 2025, as investors became increasingly optimistic about growth opportunities. The total deal value for UK private equity deals dropped 5.3 per cent to £55.7bn, broadly mirroring the rest of Europe, according to new analysis from financial data platform PitchBook. However, [...]
Savers race to withdraw pension lump sums over tax concerns September 5, 2025 UK pension savers rushed to withdraw their tax free cash over the past financial year, as they braced themselves for possible changes to tax rules on retirement funds. The amount withdrawn from UK pensions in tax-free lump sums rose more than 60 per cent in the 2024/25 financial year to £18.1bn, up from £11.25bn the [...]
London Stock Exchange boss: Fix underinvestment for growth September 5, 2025 The boss of the London Stock Exchange has urged the government to fix investment in capital markets to achieve economic growth. Dame Julia Hoggett, the chief executive of the London Stock Exchange, has backed the new ‘Tell Sid’-style campaign announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves this year in a bid to get Brits investing. Hoggett told [...]
Ashmore: Preparing for emerging market growth September 5, 2025 Emerging markets specialist Ashmore reported a decline in total adjusted net revenue of 22 per cent to £146.5m in its latest fiscal period. Net management fee income declined 19 per cent to $129.7m, (£95m) causing a margin drop to 35 basis points from the 39 recorded last year. AUM stood at $47.6bn, a 3 per [...]
M&A activity declines as investors opt for high-value deals September 5, 2025 UK merger and acquisition (M&A) activity declined in the first half of the year, as investors sought strategic deals amid market volatility. The total deal value of UK M&A declined 12.3 per cent from £65.3bn to £57.3bn according to a report from professional services group PwC. Deal volume also softened with just 1,478 transactions in the [...]