Exclusive: HS2 should not re-negotiate contracts, says Balfour Beatty boss March 13, 2025 A scathing report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) last month concluded HS2 Ltd's contracts were "unacceptable to the public purse" and that it was "imperative" the project delivered on its assurances to re-negotiate them.
Trainline shares tumble despite record sales ahead of national ticket app launch March 13, 2025 Trainline shares tanked on Thursday despite record full-year sales and the announcement of a £75m buyback programme. A bumper set of results failed to quell investor fears over the launch of a state-owned rival ticketing app in the UK, with the stock dropping more than 13 per cent in early deals. It came despite net [...]
Will Starmer’s chainsaw be Black & Decker or Fisher Price? March 13, 2025 On Monday I used this column to ask who, if anyone, will have the courage to take a chainsaw to the British state. It’s an inelegant metaphor, but an effective one as Argentina’s Javier Milei and Elon Musk in the US revel in the process of hacking away at state infrastructure. Milei won his election [...]
Keir Starmer to pledge red tape rollback in bid to ‘reshape the state’ March 12, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer is expected to pledge to slash red tape for businesses in a bid to “reshape the state” of the UK amid what he will call a new “era of instability”. The Prime Minister is set to make an announcement on Thursday about his plans to reform the British state, cut regulation, and [...]
Tariffs: Starmer ‘disappointed’ by Trump move and ‘all options on table’ March 12, 2025 The Prime Minister has said he is “disappointed” by US President Donald Trump’s move to bring in 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, including from the UK. Sir Keir Starmer has indicated the UK would keep open the option of retaliatory measures, emphasising that “we will keep all options on the table”. [...]
PMQs: Starmer accused of ‘trash’ talking and ‘job-killing’ by Badenoch March 12, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer was accused of talking “trash” and leading a “job-killing” government by Kemi Badenoch at a fiery Prime Minister’s Questions session. The Conservative Party leader hit out at the Prime Minister amid clashes over the state of the UK’s economy, councils and Labour’s Budget in the House of Commons on Wednesday. Badenoch responded [...]
Regulator will drop plans to ‘name and shame’ UK companies March 12, 2025 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is set to announce that it will shelve plans to “name and shame” companies accused of falling foul of its rules. Following pressure to drop the controversial policy, the financial watchdog will U-turn on the new threshold for disclosing more public details on companies under investigation. Announced back in February [...]
4imprint reports uptick in profit but warns on ‘challenging near-term environment’ March 12, 2025 Promotional products manufacturer 4imprint has reported a 10 per cent jump in profit for 2024, outperforming the broader market and expanding its market share. The company told markets this morning that revenue rose three per cent year on year to £1.36bn, up from £1.32bn last year. The London-based firm said it received 2.12m orders in 2024, [...]
The Gym Group: Revenue shoots up as growth plan gathers steam March 12, 2025 The Gym Group has reported a boost in revenue and profit as its ‘Next Chapter’ growth plan, launched in 2023, continues to pay off. The London-listed firm, which has more than 250 locations across Britain, reported a pre-tax profit of £3.6m in the year ended December 31, 2024, up from a pre-tax loss of £5.5m in [...]
Reeves told to scrap ‘jobs tax’ after headline figures questioned March 12, 2025 A fresh row has erupted just weeks before Rachel Reeves‘ national insurance tax hike comes into effect after the Treasury’s headline figures were scrutinized. When announcing her 1.2 per cent hike to employers’ national insurance contributions (NIC) at the Autumn Budget, Reeves said it would raise “£25bn per year by the end of the forecast period.” [...]
