The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, must use the Autumn Budget to bolster the UK’s creative industries if she is serious about delivering economic growth, according to leading audit, tax and business advisory firm Blick Rothenberg.
Category: Opinion
Some of the UKs leading business leaders and opinion formers share their insight and ideas for growth
Finance expert calls for stronger government support to protect SMEs in legal disputes
Scottish business mentor Craig Alexander Rattray has urged the government to strengthen legal protections for SMEs after facing prohibitive costs in a trademark dispute with accounting software giant Xero.
Waitrose’s kindness gap: how a supermarket lost its humanity
When a 27-year-old volunteer with autism was shown the door after his family asked if he could be paid, Waitrose didn’t just lose a helper—it lost a chance to prove that inclusion means more than a press release.
Nick Clegg: AI company valuations are ‘crackers’ and ripe for correction
Nick Clegg warns AI valuations are “crackers” and unsustainable, predicting a market correction as investors question the industry’s long-term returns.
The AA’s loyalty problem: sixty-four years and still taken for a ride
When loyalty no longer pays: Richard Alvin uncovers how his stepfather’s 64 years of faithful AA membership was rewarded with a renewal quote nearly three times higher than that for a brand-new customer, a telling symptom of Britain’s warped service culture
November Budget: “Get AI wrong and the Treasury will engineer its own fiscal collapse”
Economists and AI experts warn the government that its heavy reliance on income tax could trigger a “fiscal collapse” if automation continues to replace human workers without urgent reform to how AI-driven wealth is taxed.
Cutting the VAT threshold would fuel inflation, warns Blick Rothenberg
Rachel Reeves risks fuelling inflation and damaging small business growth if she cuts the VAT threshold in the Autumn Budget, tax experts warn, saying the move would raise prices and add red tape with little fiscal gain.
Japanese investors bet on Manchester — now UK must follow
Japanese firms have invested £118m in Greater Manchester, cementing the region’s global appeal. Business leaders say the government must now match that confidence with infrastructure and policy support to sustain growth in the North West.
Government urged to get tough with EU over new steel tariffs
The EU’s move to halve Britain’s steel export quota and impose a 50% tariff has sparked calls for the UK Government to take retaliatory action, amid warnings the changes could devastate jobs and manufacturing.
Building a Composable Business with Signable’s API
Your business loses hours every week when systems do not speak to each other. What if your technology could flex and grow as quickly as your ambitions?
Business is not an Olympic sport, so invest today in that performance-enhanced boost
In this sharp and witty column, entrepreneur and broadcaster Richard Alvin argues that business isn’t an Olympic sport — there’s no level playing field or drug testing — so small firms must seize their own performance-enhanced edge through AI. Forget fair play: it’s time to fuel up, think faster, and “blow the bloody doors off.”
Asking why vs. saying yes: the generational divide in the modern office
As a member of Generation X, I grew up in the workplace with a simple rule: if your boss asked you to do something, you said “yes” and got on with it.
Reeves’ Budget: is Larry’s cat food the last refuge?
Rumour has it that Rachel Reeves is limbering up for November with a Budget that will make the taxman’s quill squeak like a stuck pig. Property, pensions, profits, pasties — all grist to the Exchequer’s mill.
Creating a space for every voice: How to lead with genuine inclusivity
In today’s fast-moving business world, inclusivity is often spoken about but less often practiced in meaningful ways. True inclusivity goes far beyond ticking boxes, it’s about creating spaces where every voice is heard, respected, and valued.
Why Growing Your Own Talent Is Good for Business
For many SMEs, growth often hinges on one big question: hire from outside your organisation or invest in who you already have?
