No 10 aware of Mandelson emails before Starmer defended him September 13, 2025 Officials at No 10 and the Foreign Office were aware of the damning emails between Peter Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein before Starmer defended him at Prime Minister’s Questions. The Foreign Office was allegedly sent details of the emails between the pair on Tuesday and passed them on to Downing Street, two days before Starmer withdrew [...]
Labour using ‘sticking plasters’ and failing to attract foreign investment September 11, 2025 The Labour government is opting to use quick “sticking plasters” which fail to affect long-term change to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), according to a new report. The report from Caudwell Strong Britain, a research project of think tank Council on Geostrategy, argues that the government needs to remove the structural barriers that hinder foreign [...]
Chancellor concedes higher taxes could hit economic growth September 10, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has acknowledged higher taxes could impact economic growth as she seeks to increase private investment in the UK. Speaking at the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association summit, the chancellor told investors she had to hike taxes in her maiden budget in order to place finances on a “firm footing and [...]
Private capital firms eye increasing investment in attractive UK market September 10, 2025 Private capital firms view the UK as an increasingly attractive destination for investment as the Chancellor pledges to assist firms in raising capital. According to new research from the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA), four in 10 private capital investors view the UK as a good location to invest and build a [...]
Top Tory slams Anglo American’s move to relocate HQ to Canada September 9, 2025 Anglo American will merge with Canada’s Teck Resources in a $50bn (£36bn) deal, shifting its headquarters to Canada and reducing its London presence in a move criticised by shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith. The Tory MP said it represents a blow to UK business and confidence in London. The new entity, to be called Anglo [...]
UK infrastructure funding set to break record highs September 8, 2025 UK infrastructure financing deals are on track to reach a record high this year as investors compete to secure assets while the government signs off on a number of major new projects. According to analysis from data provider Infralogic, roughly $38bn (£28.13bn) of debt was issued in the first eight months of this year on [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
