The Business

What does Chancellor John Healey's 2026 budget mean for business?In this episode of The Business, Dominic O’Connell is joined by Dan Neidle, founder of Tax Policy Associates, and Shevaun Haviland, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, to unpack an Autumn Budget designed to give British people ‘breathing room’.At the despach box the chancellor said: "Too many people feel this country isn't working well for them, and in particular, households and businesses face challenges from rising energy costs due directly to the conflict in the Middle East. In the face of that, what matters is how we respond as a government. And my choice in the budget today is to give families and businesses some breathing space now, and to begin the radical reform of energy to reduce bills in the future."They examine how the Chancellor plans to balance short-term household relief with long-term economic growth. We break down the cash ISA U-turn, capital gains tax adjustments, and the new Founders’ Relief, dissecting the practical realities for British business owners and leaders.They also explore the devolution of business rates, and what this Autumn Budget means for high streets facing mounting costs.The Business is sponsored by PwCGuest:Shevaun Haviland, Director General of British Chambers of CommerceDan Neidle, founder of Tax Policy AssociatesPresenter:Dominic O’Connell, Times columnist and Times Radio business correspondentProducer: Hope FedericoExecutive Producer: Miriam Hall and Emily LeahyImage: GettyGet in touch: [email protected] from The TimesBudget 2026 key points: a summary of the highlights What the budget means for youMore from The BusinessDiesel Crisis: Is UK facing a rationing threat?Taylor Wimpey: Can Labour fix the UK’s broken housing market?Can Labour really reindustrialise Britain?Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did Hawksmoor grow from a single Shoreditch steakhouse into a global brand, and can UK hospitality survive rising tax burdens?In this episode of The Business, Hawksmoor co-founder and Chief Executive Will Beckett joins Hannah Prevett at Hawksmoor St Pancras to reflect on what he's learned from 20 years in British business, and what UK hospitality wants from Chancellor John Healey's budget.He breaks down the harsh financial pressures facing the industry, including how tax changes, rising business rates, and employment legislation impact hospitality margins.“I know that the hospitality industry would like me to say, ‘big, sweeping change’ - I just think it's unlikely,” he tells the programme. “Anything that is just relieving the tax burden or relieving the pressure slightly, that, in a way that would help smaller independent businesses flourish, I think has to be good news.”Beckett, who runs the business alongside his co-founder, Creative Director Huw Gott, also discusses scaling the steakhouse chain across London and taking on private equity investment to take the brand to the US with major openings in New York, Chicago, and Boston."We've learned about how to pitch Britishness and London. Boston's really well known for lobster rolls, but in Hawksmoor Boston, we do a lobster crumpet.”If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow this podcast.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today to get full digital access.Guest:Will Beckett, chief executive and co-founder of HawksmoorPresenter:Hannah Prevett, associate business editor of The Sunday TimesProducer: Hope FedericoExecutive Producer: Miriam Hall and Emily LeahyGet in touch: [email protected] from The TimesI was a jack of all trades until I sunk my teeth into HawksmoorHow a very British steakhouse won over New YorkMore from The BusinessWill the Chancellor Increase Capital Gains Tax in the Budget?The Employment Rights Act: A Generational Shift for British Business Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it take to become a top football agent in the UK? From negotiating million-pound contracts, to managing player transfers, a football agent holds the power to change the game long before players walk onto the pitch.In this episode of The Business, we explore the high-stakes world of sports management, where agent fees topped £400 million in the Premier League last year. Jo Tongue, leading football agent and chief executive of Tongue Tied Management, joins Hannah Prevett, associate business editor at The Sunday Times, to take us behind the scenes of commercial deal making in football. Jo discusses managing players' careers, negotiating commercial deals, and representing some of the biggest names across British football, including the manager of Manchester United, Michael Carrick.As a board member of Women in Football, Jo also reflects on working in a male-dominated industry and addressing the persistent inequalities facing female sports professionals.On social media she says abuse "is rife for women, to the point where I think a lot of females just go, ‘I'm just not gonna put anything out there because it's just not worth the stress." More from the Times: ‘It never occurred to me that I couldn’t succeed in football as a girl’ Michael Carrick hails ‘fresh start’ but one win in seven tells own storyMore from the BusinessBeyond TV: How Trinny Woodall Built A Beauty Brand“I was ashamed”: How failure built CastoreGuests: Jo Tongue, football agent and chief executive of Tongue Tied ManagementPresenter: Hannah Prevett, associate business editor at The Sunday TimesProducer: Hope FedericoExecutive Producer: Miriam Hall and Emily LeahyVideo Producer: Super Llama Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With pump prices passing £2 a litre and national reserves dropping, could the diesel crisis force ministers to activate emergency fuel rationing? In this episode of The Business, Dominic O’Connell looks at what current diesel pricing means for the UK economy.Joined by Helen Thompson, Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge, and Joe DeLaura, Global Energy Strategist at Rabobank, we examine whether low reserves and refining capacity threaten long-term economic growth. They break down how global supply disruptions, refinery closures, and changing government fiscal policy are squeezing margins across British business. Crucially, they consider - could rationing truly be a reality in the United Kingdom?“There's always that possibility because the Trump administration has shown that we will extract our pie from other countries. [The thinking is]: ‘If you don't buy American we'll stop selling you diesel, or maybe we'll do a diesel export ban for 90 days unless you release some of your strategic petroleum reserves, or unless you sell us something, or unless you let us have an aircraft base in your country,’” DeLaura says on the show. “Fortunately, I think the US and the UK have a pretty strong long-standing relationship, but the Administration has tested a lot of those long-standing relationships … it's the fact that we even have to ask this question that really concerns me.”Thompson, however, said it is a risk, but not likely - though she pointed out that some Asian countries did have to take that path. “I think for that situation to materialise in Europe, there would have to be something else on top of what has already happened … [but] the Trump administration itself might bring that about,” she says on the program. “This administration's first port of call, in a way, in dealing with its supposed allies, is the energy weapon.”More from the Times: Get drilling at Rosebank or risk diesel shortages, ministers warnedTrump’s diesel deal with Putin is gift to Russia, says ZelenskyMore from the BusinessNorth Sea Oil and Gas: The Future of UK Energy SecurityCould the UK Electricity Grid Fail?Guests:Helen Thompson, Professor of Political Economy at Clare College, CambridgeJoe DeLaura, Global Energy Strategist at RabobankPresenter:Dominic O’Connell, Times columnist and Times Radio business correspondentProducer: Hope FedericoExecutive Producer: Miriam Hall and Emily LeahyPhoto: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can Dubai’s $35 billion Al Maktoum International Airport expansion survive growing Middle East conflict, or will regional tensions stall the world's biggest aviation megaproject?In this episode of The Business, Dominic O’Connell is joined by Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Dubai Airports, to discuss the ambitious expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport. Designed to handle 260 million passengers across five runways, the airport represents a massive investment in the future of global travel and trade. Griffiths reflects on navigating regional instability, missile threats, and managing airport security during heightened tensions.“I think there are some things that we are considering which could harden some of the infrastructure against possible threats, but I think most of this is going to be technology that actually stops the impact of any conflict being felt by the infrastructure, that’s the most important thing,” Griffiths says on the show.Following Houthi missile attacks on Saudi’s Riyadh airport, the UK Foreign Office has now advised against all but essential travel to a large portion of Saudi Arabia. Griffiths tells the program Dubai’s airspace is so far unaffected. “The attacks on civilian infrastructure that are happening in Saudi are very regrettable and abhorrent in so many ways,” he says. “We have to remember that the Middle East is a pretty big place - and Riyadh and Jeddah are as far away as Italy is from the UK, so it is a war between two countries that are not fortunately touching the UAE. Obviously we are maintaining vigilance.”From his early career alongside Sir Richard Branson at Virgin Atlantic to running Gatwick and leading Dubai Airports, Griffiths outlines his corporate strategy for connecting world markets. He also discusses how international aviation disruptions impact passenger recovery, supply chains, and the wider UK economy - as well as how he has balanced his other career as a pipe organ musician.Guest:Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Dubai AirportsPresenter:Dominic O’Connell, Times columnist and Times Radio business correspondentProducer: Hope FedericoExecutive Producer: Miriam Hall and Emily LeahyGet in touch: [email protected]: GettyMore from the Business:EasyJet vs Wall Street: The £5.7bn Battle for a British Budget AirlineInside the Multi-Billion-Pound Resurgence of Marks & SpencerWealth and inheritance tax driving away the UK’s super rich?More from the Times: Saudi Arabia airport hit by second Houthi strike after 13 killed in attack — as it happenedDubai airport prepares for take-off amid US-Iran conflict Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.