The IoD Autumn Budget submission calls on the Chancellor to restore business confidence and unlock private investment, setting out five priorities.
Category: News
The latest news affecting small and medium sized (SME) businesses in the UK
Most organisations face data trust barrier to AI, Denodo study finds
A Denodo survey of 850 executives on agentic AI adoption finds 56 per cent of organisations say finding trustworthy data is a barrier to deploying AI.
Employment tribunal backlog hits record 70,000 single claims
The employment tribunal backlog of single claims hit a record 70,000 at the end of June, as a lawyer warns tribunals face even greater demand ahead.
England’s mayors to get tourist tax powers putting hundreds of jobs at risk
Mayors in England are to be given powers to impose a tourist tax on overnight stays, set as a percentage of accommodation costs with no national cap.
Anthropic did not submit Mythos 5.1 to UK AI Security Institute
Claude Mythos 5.1 went only to US vetting organisations, the first time Anthropic has bypassed the UK AI Security Institute before releasing a model.
Burnham tells MPs VAT comes off electricity bills next month
The electricity VAT cut takes effect from 1 October, the prime minister told MPs, as the SNP warned of a looming winter cost-of-living emergency.
British Business Bank launches £210m South East Investment Fund
The British Business Bank’s £210m South East Investment Fund, launched on 9 September, offers loans and equity to smaller firms from Kent to Oxfordshire.
Arm chief says AI will help cure cancer ‘in our lifetime’
Arm Holdings chief executive Rene Haas says an AI cancer cure will come in our lifetime, and predicts humanoid robots in wide use within five years.
UK’s third-biggest taxpayer Chris Rokos to leave for Greece
Chris Rokos, ranked third on The Sunday Times list of Britain’s top taxpayers, is to leave the UK for Greece, weeks before John Healey’s first budget
Policy unpredictability cost UK nearly £2tn in investment, study finds
An Oxford Economics study for Getlink and major airport owners finds weak business investment has cost the UK nearly £2tn since 2000, in a plea to Healey.
Kendall Jenner buys stake in London drinks brand Trip
Kendall Jenner Trip deal: the model takes a minority stake in the London CBD drinks brand and will front a global campaign as revenues head for $200m.
AI use by UK small businesses more than doubles to 47 per cent
Simply Business’s 2026 SME Insights Report puts AI adoption among UK small businesses at 47 per cent, up from 22 per cent in 2025, with confidence lagging.
UKEF backs £655m of Angola projects, unlocking £167m for UK firms
UK Export Finance is providing £655m for four Angola infrastructure projects, including a new international airport, unlocking £167m for UK suppliers.
Hinton calls for UK ban on superintelligent AI as MPs table bill
The Artificial Superintelligence Security Bill goes before parliament on 8 September as Geoffrey Hinton warns superintelligent AI could be catastrophic.
CBI tells Healey £345bn business costs are holding back investment
The CBI has urged John Healey to cut business costs ahead of the 28 October budget, reporting firms paid almost £345bn in tax in 2025-26, up 12.7 per cent.
