Ashley Armstrong: UK Business and Economic News Digest
This Financial Times digest by Ashley Armstrong covers significant developments in the UK business landscape during March and April 2026. Key stories include Norway’s Blastr emerging as the preferred bidder for the liquidated Specialty Steel UK, formerly part of Sanjeev Gupta’s empire. The UK government is reportedly on the verge of fully nationalizing British Steel amid mounting losses and ongoing talks with Chinese owner Jingye. In the retail sector, Stefano Pessina vows to rebuild value at Boots following its privatization, while AA PLC attracts interest from EQT for a potential £5bn sale. Regulatory and infrastructure issues are prominent, with Ofwat poised to waive fines for Thames Water until 2030 and Companies House suspending online filings after a security breach exposed personal data. Additionally, the energy sector faces scrutiny due to risks from the Iran war, prompting the reopening of a carbon dioxide plant and calls for increased gas storage. Other notable events include CRH ditching its London listing for New York and new legislation requiring companies to pay supplier invoices within 60 days.
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Ashley Armstrong: UK Business and Economic News Digest
This Financial Times digest by Ashley Armstrong covers significant developments in the UK business landscape during March and April 2026. Key stories include Norway’s Blastr emerging as the preferred bidder for the liquidated Specialty Steel UK, formerly part of Sanjeev Gupta’s empire. The UK government is reportedly on the verge of fully nationalizing British Steel amid mounting losses and ongoing talks with Chinese owner Jingye. In the retail sector, Stefano Pessina vows to rebuild value at Boots following its privatization, while AA PLC attracts interest from EQT for a potential £5bn sale. Regulatory and infrastructure issues are prominent, with Ofwat poised to waive fines for Thames Water until 2030 and Companies House suspending online filings after a security breach exposed personal data. Additionally, the energy sector faces scrutiny due to risks from the Iran war, prompting the reopening of a carbon dioxide plant and calls for increased gas storage. Other notable events include CRH ditching its London listing for New York and new legislation requiring companies to pay supplier invoices within 60 days.
ft