Britain’s festive shopping habits are undergoing a technological transformation, with new research showing that more than seven in ten consumers will use generative AI to help choose Christmas presents this year. The sharp rise—from just 31 per cent in 2024 to 71 per cent in 2025—highlights how quickly AI is being woven into everyday retail decisions, from gift inspiration to budget management. The findings come from Shoppers Say Yes to GenAI This Holiday Season, a...
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has signalled a fresh push to support small businesses by reforming business rates, pledging to remove the “cliff edges” that discourage firms from expanding. At present, companies lose all access to small business rates relief when opening a second property, a rule widely criticised for stifling growth and investment. Speaking today, Reeves said the government’s top priority was delivering growth and that small businesses were central to that ambition. “Our economy isn’t...
Britain’s ambitions to build a world-leading life sciences industry are being undermined by falling investment and mounting criticism from global pharmaceutical groups, according to a stark new report. The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), working with PwC, has warned that the UK is “losing the race” to attract foreign direct investment, citing a toxic mix of poor access to innovative medicines, low government support and unpredictable NHS pricing clawbacks. The 50-page study benchmarked...
Merck, the American pharmaceuticals group known as MSD in Europe, has dealt a significant blow to the government’s ambitions to build a world-leading life sciences economy by scrapping its £1 billion plan for a new London headquarters. The company confirmed it will halt construction of its 25,000 sq ft research centre in the capital’s Knowledge Quarter, a flagship project announced only two years ago and scheduled to open in 2027. The decision, which includes shutting...
Smart glasses that help people with severe depression complete daily tasks and AI-powered filter apps designed to make therapy for anxiety more approachable are among 17 pioneering projects receiving government support to transform mental health care across the UK. Science Minister Lord Vallance announced the investment today, with £3.6 million in funding from Innovate UK’s Mindset programme. The projects are aimed at delivering real-time, scalable mental health support, reducing costs for the NHS and easing...
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is tightening control over the government’s economic strategy by strengthening a cross-government Budget Board that will shape the Autumn Statement on 26 November. The board, which will meet weekly, is designed to ensure closer coordination between No 10 and the Treasury after criticism of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s first Budget, which drew backlash from business groups over steep tax rises. The new structure will be co-chaired by Torsten Bell, pensions minister and...
Sir Nick Clegg has never been short of vantage points from which to view power. After five years as Deputy Prime Minister in the coalition government, he spent almost seven at the heart of Big Tech as Meta’s president of global affairs. Now, in a recent conversation with Wilfred Frost on The Master Investor Podcast, he offered a bracing diagnosis of Britain’s malaise, a withering assessment of Silicon Valley’s culture, and a pragmatic take on...
The imposition of 100% tariffs on all imports from China and India would create an unprecedented shock to global trade, according to Dr Jonathan Owens, Senior Lecturer in Operations and Supply Chain Management at the University of Salford. Talking to Business Matters Dr Owens warns that such a move would severely disrupt supply chains, drive up costs, and have far-reaching geopolitical consequences. Both countries are integral to the global economy. China, the world’s largest exporter,...
Video platform Vimeo has agreed to be acquired by Italian technology company Bending Spoons in a deal valued at $1.38 billion (£1.1bn). The all-cash transaction will see Vimeo shareholders receive $7.85 per share, a 91% premium on the company’s 60-day average closing price as of 9 September 2025. The transaction, unanimously approved by Vimeo’s board, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals. Once completed, Vimeo will...
Formula 1 drivers Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson of the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls (VCARB) team have taken an unusual step to thank their hardworking pit crew: asking fans and creatives to design a bold, one-of-a-kind helmet through Airtasker. The brief, live now on the local services platform, challenges designers to come up with concepts that are “big, bold, and badass.” The winning idea will be transformed into a special-edition helmet to be worn...
