
Rachel Reeves has delivered a tax-heavy Autumn Budget for business. Markets have taken the measures in their stride, but leaders now face a higher, more complex tax burden and big questions about investment, skills, and productivity that our BQX deep-dive will unpack in full, as they plan for 2026 ahead.

Comcast’s $1.5mn vendor data breach fine reignites focus on security. Experts warn that effective vendor risk management and continuous oversight are now central to data-protection compliance and business continuity worldwide.

Budget talk is already weighing on Britain’s Christmas shoppers. New BRC and GfK data shows consumer sentiment sliding again in November, just as inflation eases and retail sales stumble. With Rachel Reeves facing a sizeable fiscal gap, retailers are braced for a Budget that could define demand well into 2026.

Britain faces a quiet but urgent crisis, says the new Keep Britain Working Review. One in five adults is out of work due to ill-health. The government’s review calls for a shared-responsibility model — with employers, employees, and government working together to make work healthier and more inclusive.

Stress among business leaders is rising fast. National Stress Awareness Day 2025 places a spotlight on how strategic stress management and leadership culture can mitigate risk.

Reeves’s pre-Budget speech sent uneasy ripples through politics and business. The language of optimism has given way to fiscal realism, and while markets have steadied, many now question whether the government can hold public confidence through restraint.

This week’s UK M&A landscape was defined by transatlantic ambition and inward investment. From Barclays’ move into US consumer finance to Corpay’s £1.8 billion takeover of Alpha Group, deals reflected the UK’s twin identity as acquirer abroad and target at home. Technology, finance, and industrial consolidation led the activity.

This week’s M&A activity spanned consumer wellness, technology infrastructure, managed services, market infrastructure, and financial markets. From Supreme’s expansion into diet brands to the London Stock Exchange Group’s strategic restructuring, UK companies focused on repositioning for scale, efficiency, and capability rather than outright size.

Technology should serve humanity, not consume it. That’s the conviction driving Chris Kaspar, founder of Wisephone and Sage Mobile, whose “intentional technology” movement seeks to heal digital dependence. From rejecting multimillion-dollar deals to redesigning devices for peace of mind, Kaspar is proving ethics and innovation can coexist.

JCB CEO warns against harmful tax increases in upcoming Budget. Graeme Macdonald expresses concern over potential tax hikes affecting inward investment and British business, joining growing number of business figures voicing concern ahead of November’s budget.