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Month: June 2026

Business Insight

A.G. Barr and Irn-Bru: Scotland’s Soft Drink Champion in a Global Drinks Market

·30 min read

A.G. Barr is one of the most unusual companies in British food and drink. It is not the largest soft drinks company in the UK. It does not have the global firepower of Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Keurig Dr Pepper or Monster. It does not have the scale of Britvic, nor the international premium mixer positioning of Fever-Tree. Yet it owns something that most larger competitors would find almost impossible to buy: a drink that has become part of a national identity. That drink is Irn-Bru.

News

Next UK prime minister faces immediate test of economic reality

·8 min read

The next UK prime minister will inherit a difficult economic backdrop of weak growth, high borrowing costs and stretched public finances. Andy Burnham may be able to offer a political reset, but markets and businesses will judge him on fiscal credibility, Treasury appointments and whether he confronts economic reality rather than relying on optimistic forecasts.

News

Pound slips as Starmer resignation shifts focus to Burnham, gilts and fiscal credibility

·8 min read

The pound weakened and UK government bonds remained cautious after Sir Keir Starmer announced his resignation as prime minister. Markets appear to have priced in much of the political risk, but attention is now turning to Andy Burnham, the leadership timetable, the next chancellor and whether the UK’s fiscal rules will remain credible.

News

Government plans major shake-up of home buying to cut delays and failed sales

·8 min read

The government has announced plans to overhaul the home buying and selling process with upfront sales packs, digital property logbooks and earlier binding agreements. The reforms could cut delays and reduce failed transactions, but success will depend on avoiding the mistakes of Home Information Packs and making the new system practical for consumers and professionals.

News

Pound weakens as UK political uncertainty unsettles markets

·7 min read

The pound has weakened as speculation over Sir Keir Starmer’s future adds to concerns over UK political stability, borrowing costs and fiscal credibility. Markets may tolerate a change of prime minister, but they are likely to prefer a swift and orderly transition over a summer of uncertainty.

News

Britain’s high energy costs raise fresh fears over manufacturing offshoring

·8 min read

Britain’s manufacturers are warning that high energy costs are pushing production overseas and threatening jobs, investment and industrial capacity. Government support schemes may help some energy-intensive firms, but industry groups argue that the UK still faces a structural competitiveness problem.

News

Fresh ONS labour data error raises questions over trust in UK economic statistics

·7 min read

The Office for National Statistics has admitted an operational error affecting UK labour market data collection, reducing the quality of the July jobs figures. The mistake comes as policymakers, businesses and the Bank of England are already trying to interpret mixed signals on employment, vacancies and wage growth.

News

Public backs higher tax on Big Tech as UK faces pressure over digital levy

·8 min read

New polling suggests strong public support for higher taxes on major technology companies, but increasing the UK’s digital services tax would create a difficult balance between fairness, business costs, US trade pressure and the country’s ambition to remain a technology investment hub.