5 h. ago No exodus to state sector after VAT added to private school fees, say English councils

Most say they have seen no impact on applications for year 7 places, despite warnings from those against policyPredictions that adding VAT to private school fees would set off a wave of parents moving children to the state sector have been proved wrong at their first key test, according to figures from councils in England.While critics including the former chancellor Jeremy Hunt had predicted that up to 90,000 children could flood the state sector if VAT of 20% was charged, most councils say they have seen no impact from the policy in applications to start at state secondary schools later this year. Continue reading...

Politics

55 h. ago Trump Treasury secretary says economy slowdown just ‘detox’ as government spending switches to private sector

Donald Trump’s new Treasury secretary blew off the apparent slowdown in the nation’s economy as nothing more than “detox” as government spending switches to the private sector.

Politics

66 h. ago Trump touts private sector jobs in latest employment data – live

Comments come as Trump vows to dramatically downsize government, including with mass firings of federal employeesCanadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has scrambled to convince Donald Trump to lift tariffs on his country, which together with Mexico and China is one of the US’s largest trading partners.That effort included a phone call between the two leaders on Wednesday, which appears to have had some effect – on Thursday, Trump exempted Canada from some of the tariffs he had imposed, along with Mexico.Trudeau responded Tuesday by placing tariffs on the US, and he questioned whether further negotiations would make any difference, accusing Trump of acting in “bad faith.” The two leaders eventually spoke Wednesday morning, an exchange Trump said ended in a “somewhat” friendly manner. A person familiar with the matter said the call grew heated and included profanity. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Trump’s Treasury Secretary claims cheap goods are ‘not the essence of the American Dream’

‘The American Dream is rooted in the concept that any citizen can achieve prosperity,’ Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said

Politics

5 d. ago Some British firms ‘stuck in neutral’ over AI, says Microsoft UK boss

Survey of bosses and staff finds that more than half of executives feel their organisation has no official AI planSome companies are “stuck in neutral” in their approach to artificial intelligence, according to Microsoft’s UK boss, who said a significant number of private and public sector organisations lack any formal AI strategy.A Microsoft survey of nearly 1,500 UK senior leaders across public and private sectors, as well as 1,440 employees, found that more than half of executives feel their organisation has no official AI plan. Roughly the same proportion report a growing gap in productivity – a measure of economic efficiency – between employees who use AI and those who do not. Continue reading...

Economics

1 week ago Major private sector investment expected as city deal projects pick up steam

'This is quite a positive position for us to be in at this time,' says senior representative

Economics

1 week ago Livingston MP welcomes £200m investment in Grangemouth refinery

The investment, announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at Scottish Labour Conference in Glasgow, will be delivered through the National Wealth Fund and aims to unlock private sector investment to ensure Grangemouth remains a hub for clean energy and skilled jobs.

Economics

2 w. ago FTSE 100 Live 21 February: Firms shed jobs at fastest rate since 2020, four banks fined £100m

Private sector firms are shedding staff at the fastest rate since the pandemic, new figures showed today.

Economics

2 w. ago Private sector employment falling at fastest rate since the pandemic

Business survey points to very slow growth in output in February

Events

2 w. ago China's Xi promises policy stability at meeting with business leaders, including Alibaba's Jack Ma

China’s President Xi Jinping has met with private sector business leaders, offering them assurances that policies regarding the private sector would not change, state media reported

Politics