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Month: July 2026

News

Gymshark buyback talks signal a new phase for one of Britain’s biggest start-up successes

·10 min read

Gymshark founder Ben Francis is reportedly in talks to buy back part of the 21% stake sold to General Atlantic in 2020, a move that would increase his control of the British sportswear brand. The talks come as Gymshark remains a major UK success story, with revenues of about £647 million, but faces slower growth, falling profits, restructuring costs and tougher competition in the global activewear market.

News

Rolls-Royce Derby expansion shows how defence investment is becoming industrial strategy

·8 min read

Rolls-Royce has begun work on a major expansion of its Raynesway site in Derby, adding more than 100,000 square metres of manufacturing and office space and creating 1,170 skilled roles. The project will more than double manufacturing capacity for nuclear submarine propulsion and support both UK and Australian submarine programmes under AUKUS. It is a major opportunity for Derby, but also a test of skills, supply chains, defence funding and industrial delivery.

News

TG Jones store closures show the high street rescue model is under strain

·9 min read

TG Jones, the former WH Smith high street business, is set to close up to 150 stores after the High Court approved a restructuring plan designed to prevent administration. The deal gives the retailer breathing space by allowing store closures, rent reductions and debt compromises, but it also raises wider questions about who bears the cost of high street rescue deals, including suppliers, landlords, councils, staff and local communities.

News

Car finance redress delay shows the challenge of turning mis-selling into mass compensation

·9 min read

The FCA’s motor finance redress scheme has been delayed again after the Upper Tribunal suspended parts of the scheme while legal challenges are heard. Payments are now unlikely to begin until at least 2027, with hearings expected in December 2026 or February 2027. The delay affects millions of motorists who may be due compensation for historic car finance commission arrangements, and highlights the difficulty of designing a mass redress scheme that is fair, fast and legally robust.

News

America remains mighty, but its dominance is no longer automatic

·9 min read

America remains the world’s most powerful economy, with unmatched capital markets, military reach, technology companies and dollar influence. But its dominance is becoming less automatic as China grows more competitive, migration slows, the dollar faces gradual diversification and US policy becomes harder for allies and businesses to predict. The result is not American decline, but a more multipolar world in which US leadership must be continually earned.

News

Netflix and NBCUniversal speculation shows streaming consolidation is entering a new phase

·9 min read

Comcast’s plan to spin off NBCUniversal and Sky has sparked speculation over whether Netflix could eventually make a move for the media group. NBCUniversal’s studio library, franchises, Peacock, live-event capability and global assets would be attractive, but a full takeover would face major regulatory, strategic and timing obstacles. The bigger story is that media consolidation is entering a new phase, with legacy telecoms and entertainment groups being broken apart as streaming changes the economics of the industry.

News

Paramount’s UIP concession shows how regulators are reshaping the next Hollywood mega-merger

·10 min read

Paramount Skydance has offered to exit its United International Pictures distribution joint venture with Universal Pictures as part of efforts to secure EU approval for its proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The remedy is designed to address concerns from European cinema operators and regulators over theatrical distribution power. The deal may still be approved, but the concession shows how global media mergers are increasingly being shaped by regulators looking beyond streaming and into the wider entertainment supply chain.

News

BlueCrest tax defeat gives HMRC a major victory over LLP structures

·9 min read

BlueCrest Capital Management has lost a near £200 million Supreme Court battle with HMRC over whether senior traders should be taxed as partners or employees. The ruling confirms that high-value trading responsibility is not enough to show “significant influence” over an LLP, and that remuneration linked mainly to personal or team performance can still be “disguised salary”. The decision strengthens HMRC’s hand and may prompt hedge funds, investment firms and professional partnerships to review their LLP structures.

News

EU car rules expose the fragility of Britain’s post-Brexit manufacturing model

·9 min read

The EU’s proposed Industrial Accelerator Act could put UK-built cars and components at a disadvantage by excluding them from “Made in Europe” support schemes, procurement rules and incentives. The UK car industry warns this could weaken access to its largest export market, while European manufacturers are also calling for the UK to be included because supply chains remain deeply integrated. The dispute highlights the growing tension between Brexit, electric vehicle production and the rise of industrial protectionism.

News

Court ruling keeps motor finance scandal firmly on the road

·9 min read

The Court of Appeal has allowed large-scale motor finance group claims to continue, increasing pressure on lenders already facing the FCA’s industry-wide redress scheme. The ruling does not decide liability or compensation, but it keeps open a court-led route for thousands of motorists who argue that dealer commission arrangements were not properly disclosed. For lenders and consumers, the scandal remains legally complex and far from settled.