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Charlie Javice, once celebrated as a rising star of the tech world, is set to stand trial this week in New York, accused of orchestrating a multimillion-dollar fraud that saw her sell her student finance startup, Frank, to JP Morgan Chase for $175 million (£141 million).

Javice, 31, joins the growing ranks of high-profile entrepreneurs tainted by what some have dubbed the “Forbes 30 Under 30 curse”—a list of once-promising figures, including Martin Shkreli, Sam Bankman-Fried, and Caroline Ellison, who have faced legal troubles after achieving early acclaim.

The case, which carries echoes of Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos scandal, centres on allegations that Javice massively inflated the number of Frank’s student users to convince JP Morgan to acquire the business. Prosecutors claim she misrepresented data, claiming the platform had 4.25 million users when it had fewer than 300,000.

The alleged deception unravelled when JP Morgan attempted to contact Frank’s customers, only to receive a fraction of the expected responses. The bank fired Javice, shut down Frank in early 2023, and sued her for fraud. She countered by suing JP Morgan for legal costs and for terminating her before she could receive a $20 million retention bonus.

A trial that could reshape startup due diligence

Javice, who founded Frank at 24 to simplify student loan applications, reportedly sought the help of her co-defendant, Olivier Amar, to fabricate user data. According to the indictment, when Frank’s director of engineering raised concerns about the legality of generating synthetic user data, Amar reassured them: “Yes, it’s legal. We don’t want to end up in orange jumpsuits.”

JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon later admitted that acquiring Frank was a “huge mistake,” highlighting the bank’s failure to conduct adequate due diligence before signing off on the deal. Legal and governance experts argue that the trial will raise uncomfortable questions about whether financial giants are too eager to acquire fast-growing startups without thorough vetting.

Javice’s trial draws comparisons not only to Holmes, now serving an 11-year prison sentence, but also to the case of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, who was accused of fraud following Hewlett-Packard’s $11.1 billion acquisition of his company, Autonomy. Like those cases, this trial will explore whether the deception was deliberate or if the buyer ignored red flags in pursuit of a lucrative deal.

Prosecutors have already scored a key advantage, with Amar agreeing to testify against Javice. His testimony could be pivotal in proving that she knowingly misled JP Morgan. Meanwhile, the defence argues that the case is one of “buyer’s remorse,” insisting that JP Morgan was well aware of the risks and failed to conduct proper due diligence.

Beyond the legal proceedings, the trial is set to shine a light on the aggressive growth tactics and culture of hype that have long fuelled the startup ecosystem. Investors, including Apollo Global Management’s Marc Rowan and female-focused investment firm Gingerbread Capital, poured $20 million into Frank, seemingly without detecting any signs of fraud.

Before her downfall, Javice was the poster child for young entrepreneurship, splitting her time between Miami and New York, starting her days with pilates and ending them with sunset yoga. In a 2021 interview, she advised aspiring entrepreneurs: “If you see an opportunity, don’t be afraid to jump.”

By November 2022, she was on Forbes’ prestigious ‘30 Under 30’ list. A year later, the magazine had placed her in its ‘Hall of Shame’.

Read more:
Fraud trial of Forbes ‘30 Under 30’ star to expose startup culture’s dark side

From 6 April 2025, businesses must prepare for a significant new workplace entitlement—neonatal care leave. Currently, 1 in 7 babies in the UK requires neonatal care due to premature birth, low birth weight, or complications.

Until now, parents in this situation have had to rely on maternity, paternity, or unpaid leave, often adding financial strain to an already stressful time.

The new law changes this, giving employees a day-one right to take up to 12 weeks of neonatal care leave if their baby is admitted to hospital for at least seven consecutive days in their first month of life. Some employees will also qualify for statutory neonatal care pay (SNCP), which businesses will be responsible for administering.

This change requires businesses to review their policies and processes. It also presents an opportunity to strengthen workplace culture, improve employee retention, and demonstrate a commitment to supporting staff at a critical time. With around 60,000 parents affected a year, employers should act now to ensure they are ready for the new right’s legal and practical implications.

So, what do businesses need to know—and how can they prepare?

What is neonatal care leave, and who is eligible for it?

It is a day-one right for employees to take neonatal care leave where a neonate (a baby who is 28 days old or less) is admitted to hospital for care for seven continuous days or more. This right applies to each parent separately. Neonatal care is:

Medical care received in a hospital.
Medical care under the direction of a consultant after the child leaves hospital which includes ongoing monitoring and visits from healthcare professionals arranged by the hospital.
Palliative or end-of-life care.

The right is in addition to maternity, adoption, paternity and shared parental leave.

Statutory neonatal care pay (SNCP) may be payable if the employee has at least 26 weeks of continuous service and earns an average of at least £123 a week. SNCP will be £187.18 a week.

“Parent” has a wide meaning and includes the child’s parent, prospective adopter or intended parent (as in a surrogacy arrangement). It also includes the partner of the child’s mother or prospective adopter where they are living together in “an enduring family relationship”.

Parents can take up to 12 weeks of neonatal care leave (which may be paid) with a minimum entitlement of one week. It is provided from the day the newborn is admitted to a neonatal unit. It can be taken at any point during the first 68 weeks following the baby’s birth or adoption placement. A parent is already likely to be on family leave, such as maternity leave, when neonatal care leave is needed, and the new right effectively means that a period of neonatal care leave is added to the end of maternity leave.

There are two different periods of neonatal care leave. The Tier 1 period begins on the day the child starts receiving neonatal care and ends seven days after the day neonatal care ends. Neonatal care leave can be taken in non-continuous blocks of at least one week during Tier 1. The remainder of the 68 weeks is called the Tier 2 period, and neonatal care leave must be taken in one continuous block.

The notice varies depending on whether the employee is in Tier 1 or Tier 2 (with reduced notice for Tier 1), but the employer and employee can mutually agree to waive the notice requirements.

What should employers do now?

Employers need to prepare for the introduction of neonatal care leave, both in terms of policy implementation and internal processes and will need to:

Prepare a neonatal care leave policy that includes details on who is eligible, when the right applies, and notice requirements.
Decide whether or not to enhance the statutory right, for example, by paying more than SNCP for a specified period. Businesses already providing enhanced contractual family rights may be prepared to do this.
Review and update any existing neonatal care leave policy to meet the minimum statutory entitlements.
Inform employees about the new policy (or any updates to an existing policy) and ensure that employees understand the process for taking neonatal care leave.
Train managers in dealing with neonatal care leave applications and supporting the employee at a very stressful time.
Be aware that, as with other types of family leave, employees will continue to benefit from their terms and conditions of employment except for pay. There will also be protection from detriment and unfair dismissal.
Look out for the detailed Government guidance, which is still to be published.

Finally, even after neonatal care has ended, the child may need ongoing medical treatment, which will be another stressful time for the parent. Employers should consider whether more flexible working patterns would be helpful and should publicise any well-being initiatives and EAPs.

Below are details of charities which support families with newborns receiving neonatal care.

The Smallest Things Charity: The Smallest Things

Bliss Charity: Bliss

Working Families: Working Families

Read more:
New Right to Neonatal Care Leave: What Businesses Need to Know

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50 years on from Thatcher’s rise: is Britain broken without her brand of leadership?

Consumer spending in the UK saw its fastest growth in nearly two years last month, providing a much-needed boost to economic sentiment, according to two key industry surveys.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) reported that retail sales increased by 2.6 per cent year-on-year in January, doubling the 1.2 per cent growth recorded in the same month last year. Meanwhile, Barclaycard data showed a 1.9 per cent rise in credit and debit card spending over the same period—the highest since March 2024—though it remained below the 2.5 per cent inflation rate.

Encouragingly, discretionary spending surged by 2.7 per cent, suggesting consumers are beginning to loosen their purse strings after sustained wage growth. Despite this, household savings rates remain above pre-pandemic levels, indicating some lingering caution.

Food sales, which had surged by 6.1 per cent in January 2023, grew at a much slower rate of 2.8 per cent this year, while spending on home goods, health and beauty products, and digital subscriptions helped drive overall retail performance.

The rise in consumer spending comes amid growing economic uncertainty. Last week, the Bank of England cut its 2025 GDP growth forecast from 1.5 per cent to just 0.75 per cent and reduced interest rates to 4.5 per cent in a bid to support the economy.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, noted that shoppers were drawn to seasonal discounts on furniture, bedding, and home accessories, boosting sales in key retail segments. However, she warned that businesses face mounting financial pressures, particularly with April’s 6.7 per cent rise in the minimum wage and a £25 billion increase in employers’ national insurance contributions.

“Many businesses will be left with little choice but to increase prices, and cut investment in jobs and stores,” Dickinson said. The Bank of England also warned that companies are bracing for lower profit margins due to the rising cost of employing lower-paid staff, which is expected to increase by 5 per cent.

Despite these challenges, spending on leisure and hospitality remained resilient. Barclaycard reported a 2.6 per cent increase in spending at pubs, bars, and restaurants in January, even as a third of consumers opted to cut back on alcohol consumption.

Read more:
Consumer confidence rebounds as spending sees biggest rise in two years

In the early hours of the morning, 16-year-old Tom Lucas climbed into his 1970 Massey Ferguson tractor, called in sick to college, and embarked on an eight-hour journey to London—driving at just 16 miles per hour.

The young farmer from Cambridgeshire made the journey to join hundreds of farmers and their vehicles—tractors, farm trucks, and even tanks—lining Whitehall in protest against Labour’s planned inheritance tax reforms. The proposed changes would introduce a 20% tax on farms valued at more than £1 million, a move that has sparked an unprecedented backlash from farmers and the wider food industry.

For Lucas, the prospect of his family losing the 130-acre arable farm they have owned for a century is “absolutely awful.” He explained:

“If I want to take over our little family farm, then I’ll have to find quite a lot of money. What I would pay towards the inheritance tax is less than I’d turn over in a year. It would take us five years to pay that off, and you should be taking a wage out of it yourself.”

“I don’t know any farmers who take a wage themselves. They’re all just working for the love of it.”

Similar concerns were raised by Richard Shepherd, a dairy farmer from Cheshire, who attended the protest with his parents and wife. With an inheritance tax bill of £1 million, he fears the loss of working capital will cripple their business.

“The problem is that we’ll have to sell land to help pay that, and all of a sudden, we start losing the capital we need to produce milk and keep the farm running.”

His father, Ivan Shepherd, added that farmers “don’t take time off”, recalling how he had worked several hours on the farm before heading to London for the protest.

The demonstration, organised by Save British Farming, follows months of mounting pressure on the government. Supermarkets have backed the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) in calling for a reversal, and thousands of farmers have marched in London since the budget announcement in November.

Veteran farmer James Hardstaff, whose Nottinghamshire farm has been in his family for over 300 years, described the policy as a “heritage tax” that could force farms to sell land and reduce production.

“It would have big implications on our family. It’s going to be rough.”

Hardstaff, who still works past retirement age, explained that rising costs have already made farming increasingly unsustainable, and the proposed tax reforms would add further financial strain.

Despite the protests, Labour has refused to reverse its position on the 20% inheritance tax. The policy has drawn widespread criticism from farmers, supermarkets, and rural communities, with fears that it could undermine British agriculture and push many family-run farms out of business.

As the government faces growing opposition from the farming sector, the protests highlight a deepening divide between policymakers and the agricultural community, with many fearing that centuries-old farms could be lost in the coming years.

Read more:
‘Heartbroken’ young farmers join London protests over Labour’s inheritance tax changes

Running a small business single-handedly can be a juggling act at the best of times. In an increasingly competitive environment, the pressures felt by solopreneurs – business owners who go it alone – can be immense.

New research by Adobe suggests that 21% of solopreneurs often think about giving up on their ventures altogether, while a further 46% sometimes toy with the idea. Balancing family life, personal commitments, and the relentless demands of a business can feel overwhelming, leaving owners and side-hustlers alike questioning whether it’s all worth the effort. But with the right strategies – and the right tools – you can take control of your workload and ensure 2025 is a year of sustainable, stress-free growth for your enterprise.

Here we explore practical tips on navigating the common hurdles solopreneurs face, alongside ways to harness Adobe Express, the quick and easy create-anything app to make day-to-day business tasks more manageable.

Recognise Time Pressures and Plan Accordingly

Time scarcity is a recurring theme for solopreneurs, with 41% considering giving up their business for lack of time due to family or personal obligations, and 38% feeling the strain of juggling personal responsibilities alongside day-to-day business tasks. One of the most helpful steps you can take is to plan your schedule meticulously. Whether you’re a morning person or a night owl, identify your most productive periods and allocate those hours to the tasks requiring the greatest focus.

Even with a finely tuned schedule, you may find yourself needing to create marketing materials or social media content while on the go. This is where Adobe Express’s offline working capability can be invaluable: you can start designing your social media posts or refreshing your promotional graphics on a train journey or while waiting in a café, ready to sync your work to the cloud as soon as you’re back online.

Embrace Efficiency in Content Creation

Marketing is one area where many solopreneurs spend hours of precious time – 36% devote between one and five hours every week to producing and publishing marketing content. In addition, 46% rely on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook to showcase their product or service. Yet consistently producing engaging social media posts can be exhausting, especially if you’re wearing multiple hats in your business.

When it comes to content creation, efficiency is key. The bulk creation feature in Adobe Express allows you to generate multiple versions of a design in one go – ideal for anyone who needs a quick way to produce fresh takes on a social media campaign without starting from scratch each time. With well over two-thirds of solopreneurs (67%) citing social media posts as the primary method for promoting their business, having a tool that speeds up repetitive design work can be a genuine game-changer.

Keep Branding Consistent Across Platforms

Maintaining a recognisable brand across different online platforms is crucial. With limited time and possibly an even more limited budget (42% of small business owners cite budget constraints as a key challenge), it might be tempting to ‘make do’ with a quick image here or there. However, consistent branding builds trust and loyalty among customers and helps your venture stand out in a crowded marketplace.

If you create an eye-catching flyer, for example, you can easily adapt it to fit the exact dimensions required by Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn using Adobe Express’s design resizing feature. This not only keeps your messaging consistent and professional but also removes the hassle of re-learning complex editing software for each channel’s unique specification. In a matter of clicks, your brand identity remains sharp and unified wherever it appears.

Collaborate, Even When You’re Flying Solo

Being a solopreneur doesn’t necessarily mean working in total isolation. You might enlist a virtual assistant for a short-term campaign, or a freelance designer to help refine your branding. Alternatively, you could be managing a small team of part-timers. In any of these scenarios, it’s essential to keep communication channels open and ensure that everyone is in sync.

The real-time collaboration feature within Adobe Express fosters a smoother approval process, even if your collaborators are spread across different time zones. By sharing a live link to your designs, you can gather feedback, make edits, and finalise projects quickly. This collective approach can prove vital as you strive to keep your promotions fresh and relevant.

Use Tools Wisely to Overcome Knowledge Gaps

Almost one in five solopreneurs (20%) admit they struggle to find the right tools or software to promote their business. When time is tight, there’s often little room for trial and error in exploring different digital platforms. This is precisely why 45% of small business owners emphasise that having the right tools helps overcome challenges in running a business.

If you’re uncertain about which platforms are genuinely supportive, look for solutions that offer intuitive interfaces, online tutorials, and ample templates. Adobe Express is designed to be accessible to those without formal design backgrounds: you can begin with pre-made templates for everything from social media posts to email newsletters, then tweak elements such as fonts, colours, and layouts to match your unique style. This simplicity shortens the learning curve and ensures your creative output looks polished and professional.

Focus on High-Impact Content

Given that 44% of solopreneurs cite lack of time as the number-one hurdle to effectively promoting their business, prioritising the type of content that provides maximum impact is crucial. While every company is different, the data shows that the most popular types of content small business owners produce include social media posts (67%), website updates (34%), and email newsletters (30%). Promotional graphics like posters or flyers and blog posts both feature at 19%.

Assess which channels are driving the best returns for you, and concentrate your creative energy there. Be mindful that you don’t need to spread yourself too thin. With the streamlined design processes available in Adobe Express, you can produce high-quality content – from crisp product images to engaging email headers – more quickly, freeing up time to focus on running the rest of your business.

Don’t Lose Sight of Work-Life Balance

Finally, while the ambition and drive required to operate a business single-handedly are praiseworthy, it’s worth remembering that a burnt-out founder is of no benefit to any enterprise. Close to 38% of solopreneurs struggle to strike a balance between work and personal life, a strain that can eventually chip away at mental well-being.

Build a buffer in your routine – whether it’s time for exercise, socialising, or even a spot of quiet reflection. Delegate or automate tasks where possible, and leverage tools designed to reduce the busiest aspects of being self-employed. Prioritising your personal wellbeing is not a luxury; it’s a business imperative that will keep you engaged, creative, and ready to meet new challenges.

In a climate where many solopreneurs flirt with the idea of giving up, efficient methods and robust solutions can be the difference between rising above the obstacles and throwing in the towel. As 45% of respondents pointed out, the right tools truly help in addressing the hurdles that come with running a small business or side hustle. From bulk content creation to offline editing on the move, Adobe Express offers solopreneurs a time-saving ally. Combine sensible time management, targeted marketing, and creative innovations to set yourself up for a successful – and more balanced – year ahead.

To find out more, please visit Adobe Express web page.

Read more:
Tips for the Year Ahead on Managing Your Business

Prepare yourself to locate your ideal Mexican house; the market for real estate purchase and sales is expanding quicker than ever. Well-known holiday destinations such Cancun and Tulum are seeing a surge in house prices, hence now is an ideal moment for people to consider property investments.

The median-income growth boosts need for modern urban apartments, alongside state advancements. Tech like VR lets people all around see and buy houses in Mexico without traveling.  The upscale seaside residence market and brief vacation accommodation are thriving, with an expected value hitting $2.47 billion by 2023, offering promising opportunities for prospective backers. Houses and apartments for sale in Mexico are in high demand, especially in tourist areas like Cancun and Tulum, offering lucrative investment opportunities in the booming real estate market.

Explore Mexico Real Estate Market

The housing sector in Mexico presently shows a significant rise in estate values, particularly in favored holiday localities such as Cancun and Tulum.  This increase offers a favorable chance for financiers wanting rewards from the flourishing industry.  Considering purchasing property in these high-demand regions is the prime time.

Besides the climbing real estate costs in vacation spots like Cancun and Tulum, Mexico’s property sector offers a variety of investment potentials worth investigating. Range from seaside apartments to vintage-style residences in heritage metropolises, a diverse range of residences is provided for varying tastes and financial limits.  Furthermore, Mexico’s desirable climate, abundant heritage, and low housing expenses add value to the country’s property market attraction.

Ideal Locations for Dream Home

More money is being made by the middle class, which leads to more interest in living in modern apartment buildings in crowded city areas. More attention is gained due to ongoing steps by the government to make city life better and easier to reach.  With increased preference for chic and practical city homes, builders are correspondingly creating contemporary residences suited for this growing customer segment.  The partnership between the expanding middle income and political measures is transforming housing markets, presenting an amalgamation of opulence and ease for aspiring buyers aiming at city residence.

Find your perfect home by looking for a good place with everything you need.  Great places to live are found in areas you might not expect, hidden in active parts of the city waiting to be found.  These concealed treasures might exhibit unique architectural styles, closeness to verdant spaces, or lively cultural settings that enrich the habitation with allure and individuality.  Venturing off the traditional route and exploring hidden areas, you may uncover a bounty of residence options that align with your dream abode concept.

Seek the ideal site for your ideal abode, consider aspects such as neighborhood participation, proximity to attractions, and impending urban plans.  Furthermore, favor districts fostering camaraderie and opportunities for social engagement and self-growth, alongside attractiveness and effortlessness.  Real estate investment surpasses just simple ownership; it pertains to becoming a part of the community and bolstering its health. By probing further into a community’s essence and its capacity for expansion, one can make a well-considered choice that suits one’s way of life and enduring aims.

Legalities of Buying Property Mexico

Virtual reality experiences are revolutionizing the manner in which global customers interact with Mexican housing, offering an accessible method to inspect and invest in assets remotely. Using virtual reality, future investors can see properties through a screen as if they were really there.  This advanced instrument allows purchasers to acquire an all-encompassing apprehension of the estate’s design, characteristics, and overall mood, facilitating knowledgeable choices without physical interfacing. By leveraging virtual simulated experiences, folks can secure investments in Mexican property with simple and streamlined efficiency, at once consolidating the transaction procedures.

When traversing the juridical facets of acquiring property in Mexico, international purchasers should be meticulous in grasping the legislative structure regulating real estate dealings in the nation.  Securing an informed real estate consultant or attorney specializing in Mexican property statutes is essential to facilitate a seamless and legally sound acquisition. Purchasers must familiarize themselves with statutes on foreign control, domiciliary deeds, land categorizations, fiscal levies, as well as distinctive bans or criteria in their intended region. Engaging in inquiry and pursuing expert consultation about legal parameters can avert potential complications and safeguard buyers against unexpected legal difficulties ahead.

Virtual reality excursions similarly furnish prospective purchasers with comprehensive details about adjacent vicinities, covering nearby facilities, educational institutions, and transport networks, thus improving their selection procedure.
Virtual reality in property reallocates boons not solely for purchasers but akin sellers too, by enabling universal platform demonstrations, which escalate globally-reaching transactions’ probabilities.
Besides virtual reality experiences, augmented reality allows property visuals of possible renovations or interior modifications, affording prospective buyers a customized perception of the property’s potential.
To optimize procurement, global customers may employ electronic services for confidential document approval and exchanges, minimizing onsite interaction and accelerating the finalization phase.

Unlock Travel Opportunities: Mexico Investment

Affluent oceanfront estates and brief tenancies are seeing heightened desirability, with expectations to hit a market worth of $2.47 billion by 2023. People can use vacation homes or properties in desirable spots to make money while enjoying a getaway.  The allure of luxury purchase, coupled with the profitability from short-term leases, makes this area a tempting option for clever investors aiming for portfolio expansion.

Incorporating leisure and property purchase allows tourists to possess a portion of paradise, with the possibility of monetary advantage. This unique strategy allows investors to enjoy the perks of vacationing in and opens up a world of opportunities for earning steady income from property ventures.

People who rent out homes should remember when lots of travelers visit during different times of the year to make more money. The best times can really help make more money for a short period.
The growth of digital wanderlust boosted the need for high-end accommodations, with remote professionals craving idyllic spots for transient employment and relaxation.
Buying eco-friendly homes can draw in people who care about the environment, which makes luxury beachfront villas stand out.
Local jurisdictions and fiscal considerations necessitate careful examination to affect rental profitability and compliance in property management.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Mexican property sector is flourishing, especially in tourist destinations and metropolises, propelled by an expanding middle class and cutting-edge tech such as virtual reality showcases.  Luxury estates and brief tenancy apartments’ market proffer attractive property investment opportunities predicted to escalate to $2.47 billion by 2023. Visit https://global.properties/ and join this active market.

Read more:
Discover Your Dream Home: A Guide to Travel and Real Estate Opportunities in Mexico

As the global race for AI supremacy heats up, we contacted AI entrepreneur and expert Rotem Farkash for his views on the UK’s position in a highly competitive global sector.

In the latest round of economic gloom for the country, the Bank of England halved its annual economic growth forecast last week to 0.75%, stunting the Labour government’s latest attempts to instil optimism in the UK’s economic future.

The Bank’s latest revision is emblematic of economic storm clouds that have gathered in Labour’s first seven months in power, worsened by the October budget tax rises that were widely criticised in the business community.

But contrary to the popular malaise, AI entrepreneur Rotem Farkash, who has founded numerous tech start-ups, believes that the UK is well-placed to position itself in the global race for AI leadership.

‘The UK has a number of exceptional soft assets,’ Farkash explained ‘From a highly qualified young workforce to globally renowned research centres, the UK is an attractive location for any AI company looking to develop solutions at the cutting-edge of the industry’.

After 6 months in power, Farkash’s ambitions for the UK seem finally to have been taken up by the Labour government, as just last month ministers announced plans for AI to be ‘mainlined into the veins’ of the nation.

At the heart of Labour’s plan is an eye-catching proposal to open the UK’s National Health Service’s extensive archive of personal data to tech companies, positioning the country at the vanguard of research into AI’s application in healthcare and biotech.

But while commending the British government’s lateral thinking in terms of its data assets, Rotem Farkash cautions that Labour’s plans risk being handcuffed by the current government’s lack of strategic vision for the UK’s AI sector.

‘The UK is potentially a formidable competitor in the global AI race’, Farkash stated. ‘While it cannot compete with the scale of the US or China, the UK’s combination of talent and potentially deft regulation of the sector could allow it to carve out a niche between the world’s economic superpowers.

‘But entrepreneurs require the government to set in place a clear roadmap to realise these ambitions’, Farkash continued. ‘Without positive messaging on the UK’s very real AI potential, there’s a risk the nation begins to lag behind European competitors.’

And a glance just across the channel towards France – whom recently hosted the global Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris this month – illustrates there are competitors ready to seize the AI opportunity. While Labour has so far prioritised using AI to make savings in the public sector, President Macron sees an opportunity for France to play a leading role in an industry of the future.

British caution is reflected in tightened spending on AI investment and incentivisation. And despite the measures announced in the UK’s AI Opportunities Action Plan at the beginning of this year, investors will remember the proposed £1.3 billion investment in AI technologies that was reportedly scrapped in August as part of Labour’s ‘cost-cutting AI strategy’.

Having been through the difficult process of selecting a country to headquarter a new tech start-up several times in the past, Rotem Farkash is well-versed in the high risks associated with setting up in a new market.

‘Investors require confidence, and confidence in a nation’s economy ultimately stems from its government,’ Farkash explained. ‘When news that the government is cutting back AI spending leaks to investors, it can be difficult to win back that trust.’

France, in contrast, has so far been much more bullish in selling its AI sector to the world. Despite a yawning 6.1% deficit this year, President Macron announced 2.5 billion euros for AI development during a glitzy ceremony at the Elysée Palace in May of this year.

A quarter of the funds will come from the French state with the aim of increasing ‘industrial competitiveness and collective wellbeing’ by delivering the bright ideas and digital infrastructure to facilitate widespread AI adoption.

And Macron has taken a typically competitive, even nationalistic tone on the subject, telling his audience at the Palace France is undergoing a ‘strategic awakening’ in the field, and describing the race for AI dominance as ‘existential’.

This rhetoric is a long way from the more modest approach of Britain’s Labour government. And while France may remain sidetracked by ongoing political uncertainty, its communication of its AI ambitions remains remarkably consistent.

‘The UK can learn a lot from President Macron’s unashamed support for his country’s AI sector’, Rotem Farkash explained. ‘Entrepreneurs have certainly responded to the President’s positivity around the tech industry in France’.

‘But I do believe that the UK has a potentially formidable offering that it can bring to the world stage, Farkash continued. ‘With the requisite dose of optimism and self-belief, the UK can become AI’s dark horse’.

Read more:
Rotem Farkash: The UK can become ‘AI’s dark horse’           

The Chancellor and the Treasury must reallocate funds to support employment and recruitment market reforms, according to the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo).

In its Spending Review submission, APSCo has urged the Government to focus investment on targeted employment reforms that will drive economic growth, improve regulatory frameworks, and address critical skills shortages across key industries.

The organisation is calling for a reconsideration of the Employment Rights Bill, particularly the zero-hours contract reforms, to ensure they do not adversely impact the highly skilled contingent workforce. APSCo has also highlighted the urgent need for visa system improvements, urging the Government to allocate greater resources to the Home Office so that critical visa reforms can be delivered efficiently.

Beyond immigration, APSCo is advocating for enhanced regulatory oversight within employment, including reforms to self-employment status, continuous review of Off-Payroll rules, and the proper regulation of umbrella companies to prevent exploitation in the labour market. It is also calling for modernisation of the Agency Worker Regulations 2010 (AWR), specifically excluding highly paid contractors from rules originally designed for lower-paid agency workers.

Concerns over supply chain payment transparency have also been raised, with APSCo urging the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) to take stronger action on reasonable payment terms, make the Prompt Payment Code mandatory for large businesses, and amend relevant regulations to improve fairness in supply chain payments.

Recognising the UK’s most critical workforce shortages, APSCo is further calling for sector-specific employment reform funding, particularly in industries such as health and social care, where recruitment challenges continue to impact service delivery.

Tania Bowers, Global Public Policy Director at APSCo, stressed that targeted employment reforms are essential to strengthening the UK’s economy and ensuring a skilled and competitive workforce: “The recruitment sector is a UK success story – delivering innovation and opportunity to the UK workforce – and will be critical to delivering sustained economic growth into the future.

“We share the Government’s mission-led focus on sustainable development within the Treasury’s fiscal constraints. However, regulatory reforms in employment are essential to underpin this growth by strengthening the UK’s skills base.”

Bowers also warned that recent policy changes within the Employment Rights Bill have already negatively impacted hiring, urging the Government to carefully consider the long-term consequences during the Spending Review.

With businesses and recruitment agencies facing increasing challenges in sourcing skilled talent, APSCo is calling for a balanced package of reforms to enhance employment regulations, improve visa accessibility, and strengthen the UK’s labour market for highly skilled professionals.

Read more:
Spending Review must prioritise employment reform and recruitment investment, says APSCo

Shein has scrapped plans to open a UK warehouse, further clouding its prospects for a blockbuster £50bn listing on the London Stock Exchange.

The fast fashion giant had been scouting large-scale warehouse sites in the East Midlands, including Derby, Daventry, Coventry, and Castle Donington, but has now confirmed it has “no plans” to proceed.

The move comes amid mounting regulatory pressures in the UK, US, and EU, as well as intensified scrutiny over Shein’s supply chain transparency and ESG credentials.

Shein’s direct-to-consumer model relies on shipping small tax-exempt packages from China, taking advantage of the US de minimis exemption, which allows packages under $800 (£645) to enter duty-free. However, former US President Donald Trump recently announced plans to close this loophole, a decision that—if implemented—could significantly impact Shein’s operations.

Meanwhile, the EU is reportedly planning similar tax reforms, further threatening Shein’s ability to circumvent import duties.

Shein’s London IPO ambitions have also been overshadowed by allegations of forced labour. Last week, campaign group Stop Uyghur Genocide launched a judicial review process aimed at blocking the listing, citing alleged links to forced labour in China—claims Shein strongly denies, stating it “strictly prohibits forced labour in its supply chain globally.”

Additionally, UK MPs have stepped up their scrutiny of Shein, calling company executives before the Business and Trade Committee last month to answer questions about their sourcing practices. When officials refused to confirm whether Shein sources cotton from China, MPs accused the company of “wilful ignorance.”

Shein had originally planned to list on the London Stock Exchange in the first half of this year, in what would have been one of the UK’s biggest IPOs. However, the company is now reportedly considering cutting its valuation to £40bn, down from an earlier £50bn estimate.

Meanwhile, property industry insiders suggest Shein’s ESG concerns are deterring UK warehouse landlords, further complicating its expansion plans.

Despite the challenges, a Shein spokesperson played down the warehouse U-turn, stating: “To support the growth of the business, Shein constantly explores warehousing locations worldwide. However, as Shein has no immediate need for a warehouse in the UK, there are no plans to have one.”

As regulatory, ethical, and operational pressures mount, Shein’s ability to secure a London stock market debut and expand its UK footprint remains in serious doubt.

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Shein drops UK warehouse plans as doubts grow over London stock market listing