A new survey by the Jobs Foundation paints a grim picture for businesses as 2026 kicks off. Of 1,150 family businesses surveyed, a whopping 78% say they are pessimistic about the economy this year after Reeves’ Winter Budget. A historic high…
Business owners are five times more likely to say the 1970s offered a better tax and regulatory climate than the current decade and just 17% would encourage young entrepreneurs to start a business in the UK. A chunky 67% stated the current tax arrangements act as a disincentive on enterprise, while 80% said Labour doesn’t understand the reality of running a business. Unhappy New Year…
Tom Baldwin, author of Starmer’s hagiography, spoke to Times Radio:
Tom Baldwin: “I think he’d like to do something. He’s very dutiful and driven by service. That’s why he came into politics. I think that’s characterised his time as prime minister. He hasn’t always sought popularity or been good at being popular. But I think he has some of the necessary qualities that we actually do want in a prime minister. That resilience, that relentlessness, that ability to carry the weight and the job really does weigh very heavily on people and he carries that weight very, very well.”
Jo Coburn: “NATO Secretary-General?”
Tom Baldwin: “I think that’s something that he would be interested in. I think it probably requires Andy Burnham’s government to support him in that and these are some of the questions which Andy Burnham has to resolve quite quickly.”