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SME confidence rises slightly but pressures remain acute. The Vistage CEO Confidence Index for Q2 2025 shows optimism among UK and Irish SMEs edging higher, yet Rebecca Drew, Managing Director of Vistage UK, warns leaders still face tariffs, cost pressures and talent shortages requiring significant strategic adjustments.
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The Labour government plans to introduce mandatory digital ID cards. The proposal would require all UK workers to hold a digital ID, verified by employers at the point of hire. Ministers argue it will curb illegal work, while SMEs face both opportunities and challenges in compliance and implementation.
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AI is not yet reshaping jobs, but leaders must prepare. The New York Fed reports rising adoption of artificial intelligence without widespread layoffs, with most firms retraining staff. History suggests disruption lags adoption, leaving leaders a crucial window to redesign roles, embed trust, and invest in future skills.
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The Online Safety Act faces significant evasion challenges. Nearly one-third of UK consumers bypass adult content checks, while VPN usage soars. Despite public support for age verification, concerns about censorship and the act’s effectiveness persist.
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Most UK CEOs opt to stay away from Reform’s conference. Senior leaders cite reputational risk, while policy watchers attend. The contrast frames an emerging playbook in corporate-political strategy.
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Whistleblowing reform in the UK remains a slow process. Francesca Titus examines the gaps in the Office of the Whistleblower Bill, from insufficient protections to missing financial incentives, and asks what companies should be doing now to prepare for a new era of corporate accountability.
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UK services sector orders have fallen at their sharpest pace since 2022. Businesses across hospitality, professional services, and retail report the steepest drop in new business for nearly three years, with rising payroll costs and inflation forcing companies to cut jobs and delay new investment plans despite strong corporate earnings.
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A sweeping set of late-payment laws will soon apply to UK corporates. New 45-day payment caps and multi-million-pound fines for repeat offenders are now set to reshape supplier relationships and boardroom behaviour, amid calls for greater corporate accountability and overdue relief for small businesses.
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The UK introduces a new AI audit standard. The British Standards Institution has launched the world’s first international certification standard for AI assurance, creating new benchmarks for independence, rigour, and global governance.
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UK corporates now account for more than three-quarters of new electric vehicle registrations. Flexible schemes and company-wide adoption are accelerating the transition, as businesses move ahead of private drivers.
