Global Scans · UK · Weekly Summary

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WHAT'S NEXT?: Achieving Brexit will dominate the UK's agenda up to and beyond 2020 with uncertainty rife until clear decisions are made on the form of Great Britain's future relationship with the EU and the rest of the world.

• [New] Energy prices are stabilizing after sharp fluctuations, while upcoming fiscal plans from major economies like the UK will reveal how countries are finding a balance between economic growth and fiscal discipline on their way to 2026. ODaily
• [New] UK stagflation risks have eased, making the BOE's job less complicated. Brown Brothers Harriman
• [New] The Bank of England is expected to keep the policy rate at 4.0% and reiterate its guidance for a gradual and careful approach to further rate cuts. Brown Brothers Harriman
• [New] The 1999 repeal of dividend tax credits prompted a shift toward defensive assets like gold and U.S. equities, a trend that could resurface if UK tax policies become less investor-friendly, as noted in the De GruyterBrill analysis. Ainvest
• [New] Subject to all the other regulatory approvals, Virgin Trains plans to return to the UK railways in 2030. IanVisits
• [New] The Treasury has drawn up plans for a settling-up charge on assets; a move that would bring the UK into line with most other G7 nations and raise a predicted £2bn for the public coffers. The Guardian
• [New] Armed Forces personnel and their families will benefit from the most significant transformation of UK military housing in more than 50 years, with more than 40,000 service family homes to be modernised, refurbished or rebuilt. GOV.UK
• [New] British shoppers' frustration with chatbots and other artificial intelligence features could be costing retailers billions of pounds. financialpost
• [New] MHRA envisions a supportive future: simplifying some device requirements and accelerating approvals overall to maintain UK competitiveness (world's best medical devices in Britain policy). IntuitionLabs
• [New] Officials at the Bank of England this month flagged the growing risk that tech stock prices pumped up by the AI boom could burst, saying equity markets were particularly exposed should expectations around the impact of AI become less optimistic. The Guardian
• [New] Bank of England policymakers have warned against the dangers of wage growth feeding into inflation, when the costs of pay rises are passed on to consumers through higher costs. City AM
• [New] The energy cooperation deal between the UK and the EU, if it results in more electricity supply, will bring down prices. City AM
• [New] Recruiting enough qualified workers, retaining existing talent, and managing rising costs are among the biggest challenges facing UK organizations heading into 2026. theHRDIRECTOR
• [New] NHS England is to test an AI powered 'one-day diagnostics' service for prostate cancer, saying it could save some men up to a month of waiting. UKAuthority
• [New] With a more digitally connected government, the UK could better understand and address complex societal challenges, such as social care, health disparities, quality of education and homelessness. UKAuthority
• [New] The UK Government's digital identity scheme could help to leverage existing institutional capacity to build up the national DPI. UKAuthority
• [New] Opportunities persist in UK equities. Ainvest
• [New] As the pace of digital transformation continues, technology is expected to remain at the heart of the UK insurance sector's evolution. Insurance Business
• [New] Demand for cyber insurance in the UK has surged by around 50% over the past two years, reflecting growing awareness of ransomware and data breach risks. Insurance Business
• [New] Looking to the future, UK firms are notable for ranking artificial intelligence and increasing competition among their top five emerging risks for the next three years. Insurance Business
• [New] Senior leadership in the UK is taking a more active role in managing business risks. Insurance Business
• [New] 78.6% of UK respondents report direct board involvement in risk oversight, compared with 61.4% globally. Insurance Business
• [New] Hypertension prevalence has decreased in the United Kingdom since 2004 and has been projected to further decline by 2025. PubMed Central (PMC)

Last updated: 04 November 2025