AI watchdog slams government over facial recognition rollout May 29, 2025 An artificial intelligence (AI) search body has criticised the UK government for accelerating the deployment of facial recognition technology without first establishing a comprehensive legal framework. The Ada Lovelace Institute has warned the increasing use of live facial recognition (LFR) by police and retailers across the UK is happening in a “legislative void”, raising urgent [...]
50,000 civil service jobs could be cut in Labour spending review May 29, 2025 Civil servants are facing another round of job cuts, with as many as 50,000 civil service jobs on the line in the government’s upcoming spending review. According to reports, ten per cent of civil servants, who number 500,000 in total, will be culled. The civil service swelled after Brexit and the pandemic, with 130,000 added [...]
Barclays and HSBC shares jump after Trump’s legal blow May 29, 2025 Shares in FTSE 100 banking giants rallied on Thursday after President Donald Trump’s tariff agenda was dealt a blow from the courts. Barclays and HSBC climbed over one per cent to 328.05p and 874.50p, while Standard Chartered jumped nearly two per cent to 1,158.00p. This came as the US Court of International Trade declared Trump’s [...]
Rachel Reeves to set ‘binding’ pensions allocations in megafunds launch May 29, 2025 Rachel Reeves has confirmed plans to set “binding” allocations in pension funds as the government prepares for the launch of “megafunds” to encourage fresh investment into UK infrastructure and businesses. The Treasury said it would “take a reserve power” in the upcoming Pension Schemes Bill “to set binding asset allocation targets,” a move it said [...]
Which taxes could Rachel Reeves raise in the Autumn Budget May 29, 2025 Rising borrowing costs, u-turns on spending cuts and a wafer-thin fiscal headroom all point to one thing: Chancellor Rachel Reeves is widely expected to put up taxes later in the year. But given Labour’s manifesto commitment to avoid tax rises on “working people”, and the pain felt by businesses over National Insurance hikes, many are [...]
Reeves’ tax raids crush business confidence – but worst is yet to come May 29, 2025 Business confidence plummeted in the three months to May as Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes took hold and firms have warned more pain is to come. Consumer services’ optimism marked its eight consecutive month of decline at -42 per cent, whilst levels of business value plunged to -56 per cent. This was down from -44 per [...]
Keir Starmer hits back at Reform’s ‘fantasy’ economic policies May 29, 2025 Keir Starmer has hit back at Nigel Farage’s “fantasy economics,” after the Reform leader laid out a suite of fresh policies aimed at attracting voters away from Labour. In a speech to workers in the North West later today Starmer plans make the case against Farage’s economic credibility, likening the proposals to the Liz Truss [...]
Government slashes red tape to tackle housing crisis May 28, 2025 The government will slash red tape to get more construction by smaller building firms off the ground, and to “get working people on the housing ladder,” Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has said as Labour looks to promote its pro-business credentials. A relaxation of environmental protections is expected, including Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements which [...]
Businesses rethink legal strategy as costs of lawyers surge May 28, 2025 Increasing amount of legal work will be handled by in-house law teams rather than law firms as businesses face cost pressures
HMRC review signals potential pension tax changes in Autumn May 28, 2025 Rachel Reeves could target pension savers in fresh tax grab as the Chancellor looks for additional ways to fund the government’s ballooning spending. His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has published research as part of an official review of workplace retirement schemes, exploring cuts to the tax benefits of salary sacrifice pension schemes. The schemes, [...]
