Langham Walsh

The New “Business Council” – Will it make a difference?

Talk to an expert

A new business council has been appointed by the UK Prime Minister to report from the business frontlines and to encourage stability and growth in the UK economy.

Fourteen business leaders, from a range of sectors across the UK economy, join the Prime Minister’s new Business Council. Chief Executives from AstraZeneca, NatWest Group and BAE Systems are among the fourteen business leaders joining the council, alongside SSE, Google Deepmind, Sainsbury’s and Vodafone. Other companies represented on the council include GSK, Aviva, Shell, Sage, Taylor Wimpey, Diageo and Barclays.

These leaders are recognised as trusted experts in their respective fields and are in charge of some of the country’s biggest employers in strategically important industries for UK growth, from construction, life-sciences and tech, to financial services and energy.

Together, they employ around 330,000 people across the country, with an even greater reach throughout their supply chain and a presence globally too.

The newly appointed Business Council will be a forum to bring a real-world perspective on how the current economic climate is impacting business and how government and industry can work together to boost investment and innovation, drive productivity and create highly skilled jobs.

Only time will tell if the UK government listens to the appointed business leaders.  Certainly, encouraging investment, removing barriers to trade, and encouraging new opportunities would be welcomed by all businesses. 

See: Major business leaders join PM’s new Business Council to turbocharge economic growth - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

February 12, 2026
One Million Miss the Tax Return Filing Deadline

HMRC has estimated that around a million people missed the 31 January 2026 Self Assessment tax return filing deadline.

Read article
February 11, 2026
CMA Proposes New Rules to Give Businesses More Control Over Google Search

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced a set of proposed measures aimed at increasing fairness, transparency and choice for businesses and consumers using Google’s search services in the UK.

Read article