Category: Freelancer Opinion & Insights

Richard Alvin on why Rachel Reeves’ looming 26 November Budget feels like London’s business community waiting for its final sentence.

Television dramas have long had a fascination with the legal world. From Rumpole of the Bailey and Kavanagh QC to Silk, The Split, and perhaps most memorably This Life, the profession is often portrayed as a chaotic cocktail of high-stakes cases, late nights, tortured personal relationships, and constant ethical dilemmas.

When a 27-year-old volunteer with autism was shown the door after his family asked if he could be paid, Waitrose didn’t just lose a helper—it lost a chance to prove that inclusion means more than a press release.

Nick Clegg warns AI valuations are “crackers” and unsustainable, predicting a market correction as investors question the industry’s long-term returns.

When loyalty no longer pays: Richard Alvin uncovers how his stepfather’s 64 years of faithful AA membership was rewarded with a renewal quote nearly three times higher than that for a brand-new customer, a telling symptom of Britain’s warped service culture

Japanese firms have invested £118m in Greater Manchester, cementing the region’s global appeal. Business leaders say the government must now match that confidence with infrastructure and policy support to sustain growth in the North West.

The EU’s move to halve Britain’s steel export quota and impose a 50% tariff has sparked calls for the UK Government to take retaliatory action, amid warnings the changes could devastate jobs and manufacturing.

In this sharp and witty column, entrepreneur and broadcaster Richard Alvin argues that business isn’t an Olympic sport — there’s no level playing field or drug testing — so small firms must seize their own performance-enhanced edge through AI. Forget fair play: it’s time to fuel up, think faster, and “blow the bloody doors off.”

Rumour has it that Rachel Reeves is limbering up for November with a Budget that will make the taxman’s quill squeak like a stuck pig. Property, pensions, profits, pasties — all grist to the Exchequer’s mill.

As social media continues to weave itself into the fabric of daily life, the algorithms that drive engagement have come under fire for their potential to foster addictive behaviours.

Nicki Bull Bisgaard, Group Chairman of PayTech Group, has long advocated for the use of technology to enhance business financial management. Nowadays, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face unprecedented challenges.

Blick Rothenberg says Chinese investors could provide a lifeline to UK private schools hit by falling pupil numbers after VAT was added to fees, as demand for British education in China stays strong.

A 100% tariff on imports from China and India would disrupt global supply chains, push up consumer prices, and trigger trade war risks, warns expert.