The Business

This series is sponsored by PwC. What can business learn from the high-stakes of Formula 1® racing? In the fourth and final episode of a special series, host Andy Jaye speaks to 2009 F1® World Champion Jenson Button and Amish Patel, PwC’s UK Transport Lead, about how elite drivers and teams perform under pressure. Jenson Button shares unique insights from his career in Formula 1® about how to mana...

Is Labour’s promise of reindustrialisation realistic for the UK economy? Dominic O’Connell explores the future of British manufacturing. In his speech to the Labour Party conference, Chancellor John Healey promised "a new age of industrialisation". But with UK manufacturing output stagnant and England losing over 6,000 manufacturing businesses in the past five years according to the Offi...

What does Labour’s industrial strategy mean for British business? Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds speaks to Hannah Prevett at the Labour Party conference. In this episode of The Business , recorded live on stage at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds joins Hannah Prevett, associate business editor at The Sunday Times , to outline the government's...

This series is sponsored by PwC. How has Formula 1® evolved from a legacy sport into a global entertainment powerhouse? In the third episode of a special series, host Andy Jaye speaks to Charlie Minors, Director of Strategy and Transformation at F1® and Jon Glick, PwC Advisory Marketing Leader to discuss the corporate strategy behind the business’ transformation. They discuss the key drivers of th...

How did M&S pull off one of the biggest turnarounds in British retail? Hannah Prevett speaks to operations director Sacha Berendji about the high street giant's transformation. In this episode of The Business, we explore how M&S transformed its food, fashion, and shop location strategy to capture market share across British business. From store renewals and digital growth - to managing...

This series is sponsored by PwC. Could we see the first female Formula 1®  driver in 50 years racing in a Grand Prix? In the second episode of a special series, host Andy Jaye speaks to 19 year old F1 ACADEMY driver Rachel Robertson, who’s chasing that dream and breaking down barriers in motorsport. Joined by PwC’s chief people officer Phillippa O’Connor they discuss Rachel’s inspirational st...

Are wealth creators fleeing Britain, and what does a super-rich exodus mean for Treasury tax revenues and the wider UK economy? In this episode of The Business , Hannah Prevett investigates why high earners are leaving the country and whether changes to non-dom status are accelerating the trend. She is joined by Dan Neidle, tax lawyer and founder of Tax Policy Associates, and Robert Watts, Times c...

This series is sponsored by PwC. What does it take to broadcast the excitement and drama of Formula 1® to millions of fans across the world, with high pressure stakes and no room for error? In the first episode of a special series, host Andy Jaye speaks to Dean Locke, Formula 1®’s Executive Director of broadcast, Media and Race Operations and PwC’s UK Consulting Chief Markets Officer David Allen....

Coming soon…The Business of Formula 1® A series sponsored by PwC. Listen on The Business wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on Times Business channel on YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How is Pret A Manger turning a London high-street staple into a powerhouse brand? In this episode of The Business, chief executive Pano Christou breaks down the Pret A Manger global strategy, detailing how the company adapts its corporate strategy for international markets while staying true to its British business roots. Recorded live at The Times Future of London summit, Hannah Prevett sits down...

Why is Jaguar Land Rover cutting 4,000 jobs? Dominic O’Connell examines what the news of this major reduction means for the future of British car manufacturing. In this episode of The Business , we break down the decision by Jaguar Land Rover to cut nearly 10% of its UK workforce as the car maker pushes to save £1.7 billion. With automotive output falling to levels not seen since the 1950s in the...

This episode is sponsored by PwC. Why are so many young people out of work? Government adviser Alan Milburn joins The Business to discuss youth unemployment, the rising number of NEETs (not in employment, education or training) and first jobs. In this episode, Alan Milburn — who has been examining the surge in young people classified as NEETs — is joined by PwC’s Chief People Officer Philippa O’Co...

Is English sparkling wine outperforming Champagne to become a fast-growing sector in British business? Dominic O'Connell speaks to Chapel Down CEO James Pennefather. What was once viewed as a niche agricultural experiment is now a major success story across the UK economy. In this episode of The Business, James Pennefather, chief executive of Britain’s largest wine producer Chapel Down, joins Domi...

How will US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and global bond markets impact UK borrowing, John Healey’s UK Budget, and the wider UK economy? Rising inflation rates, soaring government debt, and higher borrowing costs are putting severe pressure on global markets. But can politicians intervene without making things worse? The US Treasury intends to double its buyback operations of government bonds...

How did Trinny Woodall build a global cosmetics empire by targeting an overlooked market? Hannah Prevett speaks to the Trinny London founder about entrepreneurship, corporate strategy, and leading a modern British business. In this bonus episode, Trinny Woodall shares how she turned personal brand authority into an innovative enterprise, which she launched at age 53. As one of the UK’s most promin...

How did Trinny Woodall build cosmetics brand Trinny London into a multimillion-pound British business? Hannah Prevett speaks to the founder about reinvention. Few people understand business reinvention quite like Trinny Woodall. Best known for her hit television career, Trinny Woodall launched her cosmetics enterprise Trinny London from her own home in 2017 at age 53. In this episode of The Busine...

Is tax policy driving away British business leaders? Hannah Prevett speaks to Castore co-founder Tom Beahon about the future of UK business.  In this bonus episode of The Business, Castore Co-founder Tom Beahon shares his concerns that successful entrepreneurs have little incentive to remain in the UK under current fiscal policy - and what changes he hopes Prime Minister Andy Burnham will del...

How did Castore disrupt global kit deals to build a British sportswear brand valued at almost £1bn? Hannah Prevett speaks to co-founder Tom Beahon about taking on Nike and Adidas. In this episode of The Business , we look at how Castore transformed from an ambitious startup into a major player in sportswear, securing high-profile kit sponsorships across Premier League Football clubs and internatio...

Are soaring energy bills threatening the UK’s net zero targets? Dominic O’Connell examines whether Prime Minister Andy Burnham should adjust climate policy to ease the cost of living. Is the public consensus on the UK’s climate commitments being shattered by high energy bills? In this episode of Power Struggle, our energy mini-series on The Business, we discuss whether the cost of transitioning aw...

Is expanding North Sea oil production climate vandalism or the key to lowering energy bills? Dominic O’Connell explores whether Andy Burnham could u-turn on Labour's manifesto pledge to not issue new oil and gas licences to explore new fields in the region. Ask any climate campaigner their views on North Sea oil, and the answer is straightforward: stop drilling. While Labour came to...

Earlier this summer, the UK's power network came close to being plunged into a blackout. In part one of our new series on energy, Dominic O’Connell looks at the alarming events of 23 June and what they mean for the future of Britain’s electricity supply. From surging constraint costs and unmetered solar generation, we reveal the host of challenges facing the country. Modernising the UK's electrici...

Andy Burnham is officially in No. 10, and his cabinet is in place. Replacing Rachel Reeves’ as Chancellor is John Healey - not, in fact, Shabana Mahmood or Ed Miliband, both names that were thrown around in the lead up.  Can the so-called “King of the North” deliver the growth and stability the business community says has been so badly lacking? Amidst a flurry of policy announcements - bus fa...

In the words of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Peppa Pig World “is very much my kind of place.” But how does Paultons Park, one of the UK's most popular theme parks, navigate the shifting UK economy?  Located in Hampshire, Paultons Park has been in the Mancey family since first opening its doors in 1983. The amusement park now welcomes a million visitors annually. In 2011, the park...

What does the high-stakes easyJet takeover bid mean for the future of budget travel? We unpack the intense bidding war between US giants Apollo and Castlelake. Last Friday, in the latest twist in the saga for takeover of easyJet, Apollo secured an agreement to buy the airline in a £5.7B deal, gazumping an offer from US private credit group Castlelake. Just days earlier, easyJet had agreed to the C...

How have UK age restriction laws affected Grindr’s users? What changes will AI bring to the dating app? And where does Madonna fit into all this? In this episode of The Business, Grindr CEO George Arison joins Dominic O'Connell, Times columnist and Times Radio business correspondent, to discuss Grindr’s cultural prominence, the future of the app, and their recent collaboration with the Queen of Po...