6. Leadership in the red. Rachel Reeves has a daunting task ahead. A £20bn gap looms in her autumn Budget, and she’s ruled out borrowing or raising the big three taxes—VAT, national insurance, and income tax. Some suggest wealth taxes or extending stealth rises by freezing thresholds, but none of it is straightforward. The political noise is deafening, but underneath it lies a simple truth: we can’t keep funding everything without making tough choices. For too long, governments have promised more without being honest about the cost. Leadership means facing the numbers, not fudging them. If growth remains weak, something has to give—spending, taxation, or credibility. Pretending otherwise just delays the reckoning. At some point, we have to decide what we’re willing to pay for the country we want. Editor
7. Readiness, risk and long-term planning. When I joined the Royal Navy in 1978, there were 56 frigates in service. Next year, that number falls to just seven. Britain’s war-readiness is under serious pressure, with delays in shipbuilding, a shortage of skilled workers, and ageing vessels pushing the Navy’s capability to the limit. New frigates - Type 26 and Type 31 - are coming, but none will enter service before 2027. Meanwhile, the Navy must do more with less at a time of increasing global threats. This is a sharp lesson in leadership: when critical infrastructure is underinvested for years, recovery takes a decade. Readiness demands long-term planning, investment, and realism - whether in defence, business, or teams. You can’t surge capacity in a crisis if you’ve let it slip in peacetime. Editor
8. The UK’s Illegal Workforce. The UK government has launched a “nationwide blitz” targeting illegal workers, amid a 50% rise in small boat arrivals from France. Estimates suggest 800,000 to 1.2 million people may be living illegally in the UK, with only 7,130 arrests for illegal work last year. Many work in the informal economy, especially in gig roles, construction, care, and hospitality, where checks are limited. While employers face fines up to £60,000, loopholes for self-employed and agency workers make enforcement difficult. Reports suggest asylum seekers can quickly access rented delivery driver accounts. The Home Office plans to crack down on the gig economy, supported by firms like Uber Eats and Deliveroo introducing facial ID checks. Labour is also considering digital ID cards - currently absent in the UK - to tighten immigration controls. BBC
9. Anger over bag bonus scheme. Staff at seven UK airports are being paid cash bonuses for catching easyJet passengers with oversized luggage, the Times reports. Swissport, a third-party aviation company that runs passenger gates for the airline, informed staff in 2023 of the "easyJet gate bag revenue incentive". Employees receive £1 (€1.16) for "every bag taken". EasyJet passengers are allowed a small under-seat bag for free and an overhead locker bag for prices starting at £5.99; they can be charged £48 if an oversized bag is confiscated at the gate. An easyJet spokesperson said it reminded customers of their baggage fees when booking. The European parliament has proposed new rules that would give passengers the right to one small bag and one piece of cabin luggage up to 7kg for free. The change would apply to all flights within, and to and from, the EU. The Times
10. The bottom line. In April, 1.4 million people were receiving Pip payments owing to mental health issues, including 407,000 for “mixed anxiety and depression”, 83,000 for ADHD and 62,000 for anxiety disorders. The Daily Telegraph