Cautious manufacturers stay in the game

by Katerina | Mar 24, 2026 | News

More than a century has passed since the UK was known as ‘the workshop of the world’. Manufacturing’s share of the economy is at best 10% today, half of what it was in 1990, as the nation relies on strength in services. Yet pockets of resilience remain among...

March 2026 Newsletter: Recession-proofing back on business agenda

by Katerina | Mar 17, 2026 | News

While conflict in the Middle East continues to rage, every day that passes increases the chances of a full-blown global recession. Once again, the threat lies in severely disrupted global energy markets. UK businesses have already begun quietly preparing contingency...

Recruiters risk closer scrutiny of ‘phoenix’ deals

by Katerina | Mar 10, 2026 | News

What is it about the recruitment sector that allows a business to fail and return in a new guise over and over again? The latest to hit the headlines has effectively emerged from insolvency for the third time in four years, leaving millions of pounds in unpaid...

Letter from London: An imminent economic reckoning that requires fresh thinking

by Katerina | Mar 4, 2026 | News

The single most alarming indication of the complacency that afflicts the Westminster village is the frequent claim (usually made when a hapless government Minister is defending further public expenditure on some profligate welfare scheme or other) that, ‘The UK is...

MFS collapse spooks specialist property lending

by Katerina | Mar 3, 2026 | News

The sudden collapse in recent days of London-based specialist property lender Market Financial Solutions Ltd (MFS) has stunned the UK property and credit markets, prompting fresh scrutiny of underwriting standards in private credit and bridging finance. MFS, a...