Tube strikes called off in last-minute U-turn May 18, 2026 This week’s round of London tube strikes have been called off in a last-ditch reversal by the drivers’ union. The strikes were due to cover two 24-hour periods later this Week, from 12pm on Tuesday and 12pm on Thursday. The industrial action was called by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union over Transport for [...]
Matchroom could move into booming rugby in a big way, says Hearn May 18, 2026 Eddie Hearn has tipped Matchroom to increase its presence in rugby union “in a big way” following the signing of England star Henry Pollock and a new wave of investment entering the club game. Hearn surprised the industry by recruiting Pollock to his new Matchroom Talent Agency in March – a first foray into rugby [...]
Regulator under pressure as solicitor misconduct reports soar nearly 30 per cent May 18, 2026 Reports about solicitors’ misconduct have spiked by nearly 30 per cent in the past year, new data from the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority (SRA) has revealed. The watchdog, which regulates more than 200,000 solicitors in England and Wales and 9,000 law firms, said there is “a large increase” in misconduct reports and the number of investigations [...]
Councils turn to AI to boost housebuilding May 18, 2026 Local councils across the country are turning to artificial intelligence to speed up the planning process, as Labour’s 1.5m housebuilding target clashes with a slowing construction sector. A number of local authorities – including several in the capital – have either piloted or implemented AI planning tools, but housing leaders have warned that the government [...]
Rachel Reeves reforms ring-fencing in boost to Natwest and Lloyds May 18, 2026 Rachel Reeves has handed a major boost to the likes of Natwest and Lloyds with an overhaul of the ring-fencing regime in hopes to free up capital to be invested into the UK. The Treasury has unveiled a shakeup of the 15-year-old legislation, which requires major banks to separate their retail banking operations from their [...]
Tax judge criticises ‘fabricated AI cases’ cited in appeal against HMRC May 18, 2026 A former West Sussex restaurateur has avoided contempt of court after using AI hallucinations as evidence in his £51,000 tax battle against HMRC. HMRC had sent letters to Omar Rafique, former director of Karma Lounge in Worthing, in 2024 demanding payment of over £51,200 and warning that he could face bankruptcy if the debt was [...]
ETF demand surges and cash appetite grows amid Iran conflict May 18, 2026 Demand for ETFs has surged in the first quarter of the financial year as investors look to further diversify their portfolios to avoid market concentration and the fallout of the Iran war, with some increasing their cash holdings. The average exchange traded-funds (ETFs) holding has doubled in the past five years, increasing from six per [...]
IMF tells Reeves to drop triple lock pension and make ‘fundamental’ tax reform May 18, 2026 The UN’s global financial fund has called on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to drop the triple lock pension and draw up “contingency” tax measures to ensure that public debt is reduced as a share of GDP. The International Monetary Fund has said that there are “risks” around spending forecasts and tax receipts, criticising the Chancellor for [...]
Hotel tycoon Arora launches revamped Heathrow runway proposal May 18, 2026 The hotel tycoon behind a rival bid to build Heathrow’s third runway has tabled a fresh proposal backed by British Airways and Virgin Atlantic that would build the mega-project in two distinct stages in an effort to keep a lid on costs. Surinder Arora, the billionaire hospitality magnate behind a campaign to reshape Heathrow’s regulatory [...]
Cyberattacks hit UK businesses with £3.7bn in legal costs last year May 18, 2026 Large UK businesses were forced to fork out £3.7bn to defend legal action brought by shareholders last year over cyberattacks, according to new research from insurance giant Gallagher and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). Cyberattacks cost firms with over 250 employees an estimated £11.7bn in total, with litigation being the second largest [...]
