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UK Edition
21st July 2025
 
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THE HOT STORY

Future pensioners to be worse off, government warns

People retiring in 2050 will be worse off than pensioners today, the government has warned, unless action is taken to boost retirement savings. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is reviving the Pensions Commission, which first reported nearly 20 years ago, to look at how to tackle the issue. Almost half of working-age adults are not putting any money into a private pension at all, with low earners and the self-employed less likely to be pension saving, the DWP said. People drawing their pension 25 years from now are set to be £800 or 8% worse off per year than their counterparts today, the department said, with four in 10 people currently not saving enough for their retirement. Rather than launching a new commission from scratch, the government said it was reviving the "landmark" Turner Pension Commission which reported in 2006, under the last Labour government, and led to the roll-out of automatic enrolment into pension saving. As a result 88% of eligible employees are now saving, up from 55% in 2012, the DWP said.
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TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

Asda's efficiency drive targets slow workers

Asda is set to implement training courses for its slowest home shopping staff as part of a strategy to enhance customer service and productivity. The supermarket plans to monitor staff performance in picking and packing orders, with up to 20% of workers potentially required to participate in the training. A spokesman for Asda said: "This proposal to introduce additional coaching . . . will provide an opportunity for us to engage earlier with colleagues." However, the GMB union has raised concerns, arguing that the monitoring could negatively impact employee wellbeing and lead to discrimination. It has called for a more randomised approach to training selection.
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WORKFORCE

Airbus warns of job losses

Airbus, one of Europe's leading defence firms, has cautioned that thousands of jobs in the UK could be jeopardised if the government awards a military satellite contract to an American competitor. The company has informed the Ministry of Defence (MoD) that losing the Skynet 6 satellite deal could endanger £10bn in potential exports. The MoD is set to tender the Skynet contract soon. Airbus and US firm Lockheed Martin are the primary contenders.
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STRATEGY

Amazon Web Services announces job cuts

Amazon has confirmed it will lay off an undisclosed number of employees in its Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing division, a decision that spokesperson Brad Glasser said is "necessary as we continue to invest, hire, and optimise resources to deliver innovation for our customers." The company declined to say which units within Amazon Web Services were impacted, or how many employees will be let go as a result of the job cuts. AWS’ training and certification unit was one of the groups to see cuts, according to a memo sent out by division head Michelle Vaz. AWS sales rose 17% in the first quarter to $29.3bn compared to a year earlier and operating income rose 23% to $11.5bn.
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TECHNOLOGY

Consultants face competition from AI and disruptors

Consultants are grappling with significant job cuts driven by AI advancements, according to a recent McKinsey report, which revealed a 43% decline in job vacancies in the UK since 2022. The professional services sector is experiencing a shift, with entry-level roles being replaced by AI technologies. Ian Pay from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales notes: "Firms are now starting to talk about a 'diamond model' with a wide middle tier of management." Meanwhile, the Big Four accounting firms - Deloitte, EY, PwC, and KPMG - have reported a 44% reduction in graduate job postings compared to 2023. Additionally, offshoring practices are increasing, with firms outsourcing administrative tasks to countries with lower labour costs. James O'Dowd, founder of talent adviser Patrick Morgan, says AI and private equity competition is highlighting the inefficiencies of incumbent operating models and that more competition can be expected from smaller firms.
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LEGAL

Nurse in trans tribunal to sue union over lack of support

A nurse who complained about using a hospital changing room with a transgender doctor has launched legal action against her trade union. Sandie Peggie alleges that the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) failed to support her after she was suspended by NHS Fife in 2024 over claims she bullied and harassed Dr Beth Upton at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. Peggie was cleared of those allegations following an investigation by the health board. The RCN said it denied all of Peggie's allegations. Peggie has lodged a complaint of sexual harassment or harassment related to a protected belief against the health board and Dr Upton under the 2010 Equality Act over the suspension.

MP calls for probe into accountants pushing tax avoidance schemes

The loan charge scandal has led to severe financial distress for many, with reports linking it to 10 suicides. Victims, some of whom claim they were misled by chartered accountants into tax avoidance schemes, now face crippling tax bills from HMRC. Now, MPs including Greg Smith are calling for a public investigation into the role of accountants in promoting these schemes. Smith said: "Either HMRC warned accountants not to recommend these schemes, in which case the accountants were giving reckless and potentially fraudulent advice; or HMRC didn't tell accountants not to do this, in which case HMRC themselves were seriously at fault." He added: "Either way, it is quite wrong that the current government continues to only pursue those who took and followed professional advice and not those who gave it, whilst profiting from doing so."

Labour set to unveil new sleaze watchdog

The Telegraph reports that Sir Keir Starmer is poised to unveil a new sleaze watchdog before MPs break for the summer on Tuesday. The independent Ethics and Integrity Commission will take over responsibilities for enforcing rules on lobbying for former government employees and overseeing wider standards in public life. The advisory committee on business appointments (Acoba) and the committee on standards in public life are expected to be incorporated into the new commission. The commission will also enforce the new legal "duty of candour" for public officials, which will be enacted in the Hillsborough law, which attempts to correct wrongs revealed by the Hillsborough stadium disaster of 1989.
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REGULATION

NHS managers face new accountability rules

The government is set to introduce new regulations for NHS managers, aiming to prevent those guilty of serious misconduct from taking up senior roles elsewhere in the health service. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) plans to present legislation to Parliament next year, establishing professional standards and a regulatory framework for NHS managers. The proposed system will apply to board-level directors and their direct reports, with new powers for the Health and Care Professions Councils to disbar those found guilty of serious misconduct.
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INTERNATIONAL

US CEO resigns after concert embrace goes viral

A US tech company says its chief executive has quit after he was apparently caught on a big screen at a Coldplay concert embracing a female co-worker, in a clip that went viral. Astronomer said in a statement: "Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted." The woman was identified as Kristin Cabot, the firm's chief people officer. A company statement said on Saturday: "As stated previously, Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met." The New York-based firm said its board would begin a search for the next leader and its chief product officer would keep serving as interim CEO.
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OTHER

Parents and teachers back four-week summer break

Research by the parents' charity Parentkind, shared with The Times, has found that the majority of parents and teachers would support the school summer holidays being cut from six weeks to four. Many parents, the charity found, would prefer two-week half-term breaks and a longer Christmas break, rather than a long summer holiday. Parentkind chief executive Jason Elsom said that while "children will no doubt be looking forward to extended time away from school, the long summer break is a challenge for some parents."
 
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