On the UK’s hottest day on record, every major party is quietly retreating from net zero and chasing Nigel Farage’s “drill, baby, drill” mood music. Richard Alvin argues that is exactly backwards, and bad for business.
Category: Opinion
Some of the UKs leading business leaders and opinion formers share their insight and ideas for growth
Burnham and the wealth question now hanging over British business
Andy Burnham wants wealth to carry more of Britain’s tax burden. We look at what a Burnham premiership could mean for business, investors and growth.
Can Andy Burnham win over Britain’s entrepreneurs?
Andy Burnham looks set for No.10. Richard Alvin, a former adviser to David Cameron’s government, asks whether he can win over Britain’s entrepreneurs.
Under-16s social media ban branded ‘impractical, illiberal and undesirable’ as industry rounds on government
Experts warn the UK’s under-16s social media ban is ‘impractical’ and no silver bullet. Business Matters rounds up the industry reaction and what platforms must do next.
Scott Pelley fired from 60 Minutes: the next domino in the fall of American journalism
Richard Alvin on Scott Pelley’s firing from 60 Minutes — first Colbert, now CBS’s flagship. The erosion of the US media Edward Murrow built is accelerating.
Rural Britain isn’t a backdrop. It’s a £315 billion economy, and it deserves a national stage
550,000+ businesses make rural Britain work. Enter The Rural Business Awards 2026 free, in up to 3 categories. Independently judged. Winners on 4 Nov.
Why Britain’s punishing air tax is sending tourists to Tokyo, not Heathrow
British Airways chief Sean Doyle warns that the world’s heaviest air passenger duty is pricing tourists out of the UK and will scupper Britain’s 50m-visitor target for 2030.
Why your business lives or dies in one square foot of real estate – the bit between your ears
Forget premises, plant and pitch decks — the most valuable real estate in any business is the square foot between the founder’s ears. Richard Alvin explains why.
Caudwell turns on ‘disastrous’ Starmer: billionaire Labour backer says he was misled and may bankroll the tories again
Billionaire Phones4U founder John Caudwell tells Business Matters he was ‘misled’ by Labour’s pro-business promises and could back the Tories at the next election.
Goodbye 11.35pm: Why linear TV’s biggest names are all fleeing to YouTube
From Colbert’s surprise YouTube debut to Piers Morgan’s Murdoch exit and the BBC’s pivot, linear TV is haemorrhaging talent and viewers — and the slot is dead.
ISA shake-up risks unwinding a decade of simplification, warns Charles Stanley
From April 2027 the cash ISA allowance falls to £12,000 for under-65s and a 22% charge will hit interest on cash in stocks & shares ISAs. Charles Stanley’s Rob Morgan warns the reforms risk reversing the 2014 simplification and deterring cautious savers.
Nightlife chief brands Chancellor’s summer VAT cut a ‘superficial fix’ that abandons clubs and festivals
Chancellor’s summer VAT cut for family attractions ignores clubs, festivals and live music venues, NTIA’s Michael Kill warns, branding it a ‘superficial fix’
Colbert’s final bow: How CBS cancelled the king of late night to keep Trump sweet
As The Late Show signs off, Richard Alvin argues CBS killed America’s number-one late-night programme to placate a thin-skinned president, and set a chilling precedent for free speech, satire and business.
Sweating the asset: How Sting wrote Roxanne in an afternoon and sold it for £240 Million
From Sting’s £240m catalogue sale to The Beatles’ billion-pound back catalogue, the songs of the vinyl era are the ultimate sweat-the-asset masterclass.
Local Elections 2026: Why you must go out and vote tomorrow
Richard Alvin on why every business owner — and every citizen — must turn out for tomorrow’s local elections, regardless of which box they tick.
