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Smith+Nephew is proceeding with disputed executive pay arrangements after consultation. CEO Deepak Nath has received additional share awards after remuneration resolutions attracted more than 20% opposition at the company’s May AGM.
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UK growth forecasts have improved, but business investment remains weak. The British Chambers of Commerce expects GDP to expand 1.0% this year while company investment contracts and export growth remains subdued.
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British banks are pledging riskier assets for central bank liquidity. Level C collateral used through the Bank of England’s long-term repo facility has risen sharply as lenders adapt to a financial system with fewer abundant reserves.
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BP has appointed Ian Tyler as its permanent board chair. The former Balfour Beatty chief takes the role as BP reshapes its board, portfolio, investment discipline, and balance sheet under chief executive Meg O’Neill.
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Matt Clifford is joining Anthropic to lead its international affairs. The former UK government adviser takes the role as frontier AI developers deepen their exposure to regulation, infrastructure policy, public procurement, and government scrutiny.
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UK director confidence improved in August but remained deeply negative. The IoD index rose from -63 to -49, while investment intentions remained below zero and businesses continued to report high costs and significant policy uncertainty.
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British Business Bank will anchor Zinc’s new deep-tech investment fund. The Bank has agreed up to £46m for a £70m vehicle targeting 80 science-led companies across health, environment, engineering, biology, and AI.
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Government plans would give regions greater control over investment strategy. Local industrial plans, grid connections, skills, and consolidated funding are being placed within a wider devolution programme led through the new Number 10 North operation.
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Twenty-one financial institutions are building a new global stablecoin venture. Lloyds Banking Group has joined banks and investment groups planning a regulated dollar-denominated product for launch in the first half of 2027.
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Range Rover has opened orders for its first electric model. The Solihull-built SUV starts at £154,070 and offers up to 372 miles of WLTP range as JLR brings battery propulsion into one of its highest-value product families.
