EMPLOYMENT Businesses brace for new employment laws City AM The first slate of reforms under the Employment Rights Act have come into force, enhancing trade union powers for employees. Key changes include the repeal of most provisions of the Trade Union Act 2016 and...

EMPLOYMENT UK unemployment soars to five-year high Financial Times City AM London Evening Standard The Guardian UK unemployment has reached 5.2%, the highest level since early 2021, according to the latest labour market data. The jobless rate increased from 5.1% in...

FINANCE UK to develop alternative to Visa and Mastercard Bank of England GOV.UK Daily Express GB News The Guardian A new initiative backed by the Government and funded by the City will develop a new payments company amid concern that systems owned by Mastercard and...

ECONOMY Customs union plan sparks economic fears Sunday Express The Prosperity Institute think-tank has warned that Labour's support for rejoining a customs union could cost the UK economy £30bn-40bn annually. Chancellor Rachel Reeves claims closer ties with the EU...

ECONOMY Economy sees 0.1% growth in Q4 BBC News City AM The Guardian The Times The UK economy grew by just 0.1% in the final quarter of 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), matching the rate recorded in Q3. Analysis of the data shows that Q4...

OUTLOOK Small firms face pandemic-level pressures Daily Mail Small firms in the UK are experiencing pressures similar to those during the pandemic, according to MPs on the Business and Trade Select Committee, with rising energy costs, a complex tax system, and crime...

INVESTMENT UK fintech investment hits five-year low City AM Investment in the UK fintech sector fell to a five-year low of just under $11bn (£8bn) in 2025, down 20% from the previous year, despite Revolut’s $3bn funding round boosting the total. While the number of...

EMPLOYMENT SMEs face £680m hit from Labour’s union plans The Daily Telegraph Labour’s plan to let trade unions into workplaces could hit small businesses with a £680m bill, the Telegraph reports. Under the Employment Rights Act, union officials will be granted...

OUTLOOK Bailey warns of AI bubble risks The Daily Telegraph The Times Andrew Bailey, the Governor of the Bank of England, has raised concerns about potential complacency in financial markets regarding AI's productivity gains. He warned that expectations may not be...

EMPLOYMENT More workers could be hit by salary sacrifice cap Financial Times The Times The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has revised its estimates on the impact of the Government's salary sacrifice cap, indicating that up to 4.3m additional workers could be...