AI pilots squeeze marketing budgets AI pilots are being funded from existing marketing budgets. New research suggests teams are reallocating spend to AI experiments before funding models, governance, and returns are settled.

Heatwave lifts UK retail sales UK retail sales rebounded as hot weather lifted demand. BRC-KPMG data shows May sales up 3.7%, with food, clothing, footwear, online non-food, and summer goods benefiting.

UKPI opens new payments front A new UK payments scheme has entered the market. UKPI’s launch gives commercial variable recurring payments a framework to challenge cards and direct debit in recurring transactions.

Carers’ workplace rights enter consultation New carers’ rights could reshape absence policy for employers. Ministers are consulting on paid carer’s leave, return-to-work protections, and stronger support for parents of seriously ill children.

Companies House sets 2028 accounts deadline Companies House has set a new accounts filing deadline today. Small companies and micro-entities will need to prepare for software-only filing and wider profit and loss submission requirements from April 2028.

Santander chair challenges UK bank taxes Santander’s tax warning intensifies pressure on UK banking tax policy. Ana Botín has criticised sector-specific taxation as banks argue competitiveness and investment are being constrained.

Private equity recovery stalls after triple shock Private equity’s latest recovery has stalled before gaining momentum again. Bain says AI disruption, private credit stress, and energy-price pressure have hit dealmaking, fundraising, and exits.

City calls for stronger EU finance ties City institutions want financial services placed inside the EU reset. UK Finance says closer cooperation would reduce duplication, improve capital flows, and support investment without rejoining the single market.

Ministers tie AI adoption to workforce skills Ministers are tying AI adoption directly to workforce skills today. A new £200m-plus package links business productivity, trade union engagement, SME support, and early-career pathways as the UK pushes for faster AI adoption.

Frasers weighs £500m Metrocentre property move Frasers is considering a major move into regional retail property. A potential £500m Metrocentre bid would extend the group’s strategy of owning destination retail assets.

HMRC targets director loan reporting gap HMRC wants closer reporting of owner-manager company withdrawals and loans. The proposals would give the tax authority more detailed data on transactions between close companies and their participators.

Carmakers seek fresh delay to EV tariffs Carmakers are seeking more time before tougher EV trade rules. Industry groups warn local battery supply chains cannot yet meet UK-EU origin thresholds due on 1 January 2027, raising fresh questions over electric vehicle investment, costs, and…

SmilingCFO launches mental availability diagnostic tool SmilingCFO has launched a new diagnostic tool for brand marketers. The Mental Availability Review helps teams assess whether their brand comes to mind in relevant buying situations.

Maple Review urges wider enterprise access The Maple Review has called for broader access to enterprise. Its final report recommends micro-capital, business skills education, and redesigned support for founders who have experienced economic hardship.

OECD warns UK growth will stay sluggish OECD forecasts point to another difficult year for UK growth. The organisation expects GDP to rise by 0.9% in 2026, while unemployment is forecast to reach 5.5%.

Accountants guide SMEs towards digital EU routes UK accountants are fielding more questions on European expansion routes. New e-Residency research suggests digital-first structures are now being recommended ahead of traditional EU subsidiaries by more advisers.

AUTODOC opens Manchester hub for UK growth AUTODOC has opened its first UK warehouse near Greater Manchester. The 7,200m² Oldham hub brings high-demand parts into the domestic network and supports the retailer’s long-term UK expansion strategy.

Cybanetix launches managed AI security service Cybanetix has launched a managed service for enterprise AI security. The new service combines security tooling, consultancy, and 24/7 SOC monitoring across employee AI use, governance, and embedded AI systems.

Primark TV campaign strengthens brand case Primark’s TV debut reframed advertising as measurable growth driver. The retailer’s first UK television campaign delivered record ad awareness, sales uplift, and stronger quality perceptions.

MTD deadline leaves accountants with practical gaps Making Tax Digital is moving from policy into workflow reality. Accountants still face practical questions around quarterly updates, HMRC calculations, client approvals, and deadline pressure before the first August filing.

AI errors expose workplace silence risk AI errors are exposing a widening workplace trust gap. New research suggests employees are seeing harmful AI outputs but do not always feel safe reporting concerns internally.

Forced-labour tariffs threaten UK exporters US forced-labour tariffs would test exporters’ supply-chain due diligence. Washington’s proposal could turn modern slavery controls into a direct trade, pricing, and customs exposure for UK companies.

Ministers seek evidence on AI’s workplace impact Government AI data requests put workplace evidence under pressure. Companies are being asked to share aggregated information on how AI is affecting jobs, skills, productivity, and work quality.

Zero-hours reforms move into consultation Zero-hours reforms would reshape workforce planning across exposed sectors. The government is consulting on guaranteed hours, reasonable notice, and cancellation payments, with employers facing new compliance, scheduling, and cost pressures.

UK services slip into contraction UK services data has turned cautious after months of resilience. The latest PMI shows output, new work, hiring, and confidence weakening as companies confront soft demand and persistent cost pressure.

Google search rules give publishers AI control Google’s search ruling gives publishers new control over AI discovery. The CMA has imposed a conduct requirement covering opt-outs, attribution, model fine-tuning, and compliance reporting as AI reshapes search visibility.

DEScycle secures critical metals funding DEScycle has secured major grant funding for metals recovery infrastructure. The UK company has received more than €10m in confirmed non-dilutive support from European and UK innovation programmes.

CIPD warns on zero-hours reforms CIPD warns zero-hours reforms could create unintended workforce insecurity risks. It said complex rules may push employers towards contractors and fixed-term arrangements, weakening opportunities for some young workers.

NAKIVO reports global MSP growth NAKIVO has reported steady first-quarter growth across global markets worldwide. MSP numbers rose 18% year on year, while total revenue increased 4% during Q1 2026.

Lovell Renew strengthens commercial leadership Lovell Renew Central has appointed Andy Webster as commercial lead. The move follows a 27% increase in staff over 12 months, as the refurbishment and retrofit specialist expands its Midlands project pipeline.

Ocado and Asda strike ecommerce partnership Asda is turning to Ocado for online grocery infrastructure upgrades. The partnership will use Ocado’s Smart Platform across ecommerce, store fulfilment, delivery planning, and aggregator orders from 2027.

Calculus backs Edify in £3m round Edify has secured fresh backing to scale hospitality operations software. Calculus invested £2.5m as part of a £3m round for the AI platform, which serves brands including Pret A Manger, Dunkin’ Donuts, WatchHouse, and Yolk Brands.

Salary sacrifice cap threatens pension saving Salary sacrifice reforms could weaken pension saving for millions nationally. LCP says more than 2.8 million workers are expected to reduce contributions after the 2029 cap takes effect.

Onecom Partners sharpens Vodafone broadband offer Onecom Partners is sharpening its reseller broadband proposition with Vodafone. The channel-led aggregator is offering free Premium installation and flexible 30-day terms to support partner growth and customer migration to SOGEA and FTTP services.

UK pushes India trade deal forward The UK is accelerating efforts to implement its India agreement. Ministers say the free trade deal will slash tariffs and support a trading relationship already worth £48bn.

Haiilo makes Manchester UK growth hub Haiilo is expanding Manchester as its fastest-growing regional UK office. The employee experience platform has increased headcount more than sixfold since 2024, alongside UK ARR growth of 55% and a 60% rise in customer numbers.

Skills England warns of workforce gap England’s skills pipeline faces sharper pressure across priority growth sectors. Skills England says demand will rise 24% over the next decade, requiring up to 1.8 million additional workers.

Monday tops Success.co productivity data Monday now appears to be the week’s strongest productivity window. Success.co data shows Mondays led across tasks completed, issues resolved, milestones, quarterly goals, and scorecard entries, while Fridays were dominated by skipped meetings and reporting…

May’s biggest US-linked M&A deals were led by power, housing, AI services, industrial controls, and pharma pipelines — a month defined by capacity, not exuberance. #MandA #Markets #Leadership

VodafoneThree, OVO, Intertek, Tate & Lyle, and The Very Group shaped a May M&A market driven by control, scale, and pressure on UK public-market valuations. #MandA #UKBusiness #Markets

West England tech faces collaboration bottleneck West England’s tech clusters face pressure to connect faster nationally. Tech West England Advocates says slow collaboration could limit global scale, despite regional strengths in advanced manufacturing, green technology, aerospace, and deep tech.

Willow access sharpens quantum security deadline King’s researchers have gained access to Google’s Willow quantum processor. The move strengthens UK quantum research while sharpening enterprise questions around post-quantum cryptography, supplier visibility, and board-level cyber risk.

AI moves deeper into grocery shopping More grocery shoppers are using AI before reaching retailer platforms. Rithum research says 36% of consumers have used AI tools to help buy groceries, with price comparison the most common use case among those already using the technology.

Tech4Takeoff backs students lacking device access Tech4Takeoff will redirect donated iPads to students needing digital access. The Digital Poverty Alliance and easyJet say the programme will support young people facing barriers to learning beyond the classroom.

Thames Valley tech groups join forces A new partnership is linking more of Thames Valley tech. Reading Tech Cluster and Berkshire Tech Network say the agreement will expand regional connections, events, and collaboration.

AI liability warning reaches enterprise boards AI liability is moving faster than many boards expect already. XFactorAI says enterprises deploying third-party tools may be far more exposed to litigation and regulatory action than they assume.

Identity architecture is being redrawn as AI agents move deeper into enterprise workflows. Ping Identity’s latest release adds governance, programmability, and access controls aimed at managing non-human actors more safely. #CyberSecurity #Identity #AI

Marketing teams struggle on execution and ROI Many marketing teams still cannot execute or measure campaigns properly. IMG’s new survey points to weak campaign discipline, poor ROI visibility, and widespread underuse of marketing technology across UK organisations.

Heavy HCM spending is not guaranteeing cleaner payroll operations. Strada’s latest research suggests many enterprises are still propping up modern platforms with manual checks, fragmented reporting, and legacy fallback processes. #HRTech #Payroll #EnterpriseIT

North-south sales divide reflects deeper mistrust England’s sales divide is exposing a sharper crisis of trust. Pipedrive’s latest regional analysis finds more pressure-led outreach in the North, while southern England outside London reports weaker confidence in salespeople and fewer positive…