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 [...]
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 [...]
Three more interest rate cuts could come, Bank of England official says February 23, 2026 The Bank of England could make three more interest rate cuts in order to reach its neutral level as inflation drops back to two per cent over the coming year, a Monetary Policy Committee member has suggested. Alan Taylor, an external member who has consistently voted for larger interest rate cuts over the past year [...]
Schroders chief executive vows to keep Cazenove Capital February 23, 2026 Schroders’ chief executive has vowed that the company will retain its wealth management business following its £9.9bn takeover by US fund manager Nuveen. Richard Oldfield’s pledge comes after days of speculation surrounding the future of the wealth manager, driven by minimal detail on how it would be integrated into the business in its announcement just [...]
The Works shares jump after activist investor ups stake February 23, 2026 Shares in The Works jumped on Monday morning after a well-known small cap activist investor upped its stake in the retailer. The high street staple, which has more than 500 stores across the UK, had been trading with a market cap of just £20m despite turning over more than £250m annually. According to activist investor [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks jittery after Trump tariffs; Job vacancies fall February 23, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Tariffs are once more redefining market sentiment. Last Friday, a number of FTSE 100 stocks popped on the news President Donald Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ levies had been struck down by the US Supreme Court. It marked a major boost to global markets after the top [...]
The polling is clear: UK public is finally ready for serious NHS reform February 23, 2026 New polling shows the public mood has shifted on the NHS. The government must respond, writes Dr Emmanuel Igwe.
How to solve the energy crisis? Give power back to the markets February 23, 2026 Solving the energy crisis needs the dynamism of the private sector, not more government subsidies and central planning, writes Emma Revell.
Bank to business lending growth to halve amid global tensions February 23, 2026 UK bank to businesses lending growth is forecast to halve this year as firms feel the pinch of challenging conditions amid global tensions. Net growth in the value of lending from the banking sector to businesses is tipped to slow to 3.5 per cent this year, standing at nearly half of the 6.9 per cent [...]