The Business

What will it take to see growth in the British economy again? In this bonus episode of The Business, Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, sets out her answer. Recorded live at The Times CEO Summit, which brings together business leaders and policy makers to discuss current economic challenges and opportunities, Badenoch joined Fraser Nelson to talk growth, regulation and the future of Britain's economy. Badenoch reflects on the Conservative Party's path back to power, and Labour's record  of treating business "as if it's a problem to be managed rather than an asset to be championed."In this live interview with Times columnist, Fraser Nelson, Badenoch says the UK needs an "economic revolution" to reverse years of stagnation, outlining plans to cut red tape, lower energy costs and encourage greater risk-taking across business and government.Presenter:Fraser Nelson, Times Columnist Guest: Kemi Badenoch, Leader of the Opposition Producer: Hope FedericoExecutive Producer: Miriam HallPhoto credit: GettyGet in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.comHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on The Business, our sister series, The Times Tech Podcast is taking over the feed. Find full episodes wherever you get your podcasts.Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a ban on social media for under-16s, due to come into effect next year. But questions remain over how it will be enforced, and whether it will actually work. Mark Sellman joins Katie Prescott to answer the key questions.In the US, the Trump administration has banned two of Anthropic’s most powerful AI models which include the controversial 'Mythos', intensifying calls for Europe to build sovereign AI systems of its own. If America can restrict access to critical AI technology at short notice, what does that mean for the rest of the world? Plus, Katie has been at Founders Forum, where she interviewed Katie King, the founder and CEO of BioOrbit, a company building a pharmaceutical lab in space to transform the way we treat cancer.Do you agree with the social media ban? Get in touch: techpod@thetimes.co.ukProducers: Marnie Duke & Ethan SillsExecutive Producer: Priyanka DeladiaImage: Getty

What does it take for a British business to make it in the United States? In this episode, we hear from the people who’ve managed to pull it off. UK chief executive of the PR firm Grayling, Heather Blundell, is alongside the Berry co-founder Ryan Burnham and designer Freya Rose Archer for this special episode recorded in Los Angeles at the 2026 Greater Together LA summit. They discuss the opportunities and challenges facing UK companies in the world's largest consumer market.As Britain continues to redefine its place in the global economy post Brexit, host Hannah Prevett explores the importance of UK trade with the United States and the role British businesses can play in strengthening economic ties between the two countries. In this conversation, the group examines why the US remains such an important market for ambitious British businesses looking to expand internationally, and what growth could mean for the wider UK economy. Archer encourages company founders to lean into their individuality, as an important way of reaching consumers across the Atlantic. “The heritage that we have in Britain with creativity and the passion for craftsmanship really resonates with the US customer," she says on the show. From creative industries and communications to luxury retail and consumer products, they discuss the opportunities available to UK companies seeking growth in the American market. They also explore the power of Britain's global reputation and ask whether the UK's much-discussed soft power can translate into commercial success. Guests share lessons on entrepreneurship, international expansion and what UK companies can learn from the confidence and ambition often associated with the US market.“It's like nothing I've ever experienced from a client before," Blundell says on the program in regards to her partnerships with US businesses. "They run towards things that others would run away from. They buy distressed assets, rebuild and invest." Presenter:- Hannah Prevett, associate business editor of The Sunday TimesGuests: - Heather Blundell, UK CEO Grayling - Ryan Burnham, Co-Founder of The Berry - Freya Rose Archer, Founder and Designer of Freya Rose London Producer: Hope FedericoExecutive Producer: Miriam HallPhoto credit: GettyGet in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com

This episode is sponsored by PwC. Is the so-called 'special relationship’ between the United Kingdom and United States alive and well? Amid political tensions, have these ties frayed - and what does this mean for the business community?In an episode recorded at the UK Government’s Greater Together LA programme, we take a practical look at what growth and opportunities are available to UK businesses looking to leverage in the US.Presenter:- Hannah Prevett, Associate business editor, The Sunday TimesGuests: - Marco Amitrano, Senior Partner PwC UK and Middle East- Michael Frohlich, Chief Marketing and Corporate Affairs Officer, WPPProducer: Hope FedericoExecutive Producer: Miriam HallGet in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com

Kathleen Fisher, chief executive of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), joins Hannah Prevett for her first major interview since taking charge of the UK's high-risk research agency.Created in 2023, Aria was the invention of Conservative Party adviser Dominic Cummings. Inspired by the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) - where Fisher previously worked - ARIA was designed to back ambitious ideas that could transform industries, accelerate AI in business and strengthen the UK economy.In this special recording before a live audience for The Times and Sunday Times Reviving the City event, Fisher discusses what it will take for the UK to create the next generation of world-leading tech companies, whether Britain can produce a trillion-dollar business, and why she believes the country must become more comfortable with risk if it wants to compete on the global stage.The conversation explores the challenges facing UK companies as artificial intelligence reshapes industries, from startups and scale-ups to established FTSE 100 businesses. Fisher explains how AI in business can be used to empower workers rather than replace them, why organisations that fail to adapt risk being left behind, and where Britain has unique advantages in areas such as AI hardware, and quantum technologies.She also shares lessons from her time at DARPA, outlines ARIA's mission to turn scientific breakthroughs into commercial success, and discusses how the UK can capture more of the value created by its world-class research base. Along the way, she weighs in on venture capital, patient investment, the role of pension funds in backing innovation, and the importance of creating an environment where entrepreneurs can learn from failure.For anyone interested in investing, startups, scale-ups, AI in business, the future of the UK economy and the prospects for Britain's next generation of tech companies, this is a conversation with one of the most influential figures shaping the country's innovation agenda. Presenter:- Hannah Prevett, associate business editor of The Sunday TimesGuest: - Kathleen Fisher, chief executive of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA)Producer: Hope FedericoExecutive Producer: Miriam HallGet in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com

Labour's Secretary of State for Business, Peter Kyle, joins us in the studio to answer some of the most pressing questions facing the UK economy: how does Britain position itself as a legitimate global destination for business, investment, and innovation? “We have the potential to scale fast, but too often companies are leaving this country when they get to a need for a certain size of investment,” Kyle says on the show. “They're going to go and find that in America with a higher risk threshold, and they're gonna find a boldness and an urgency of getting capital into businesses. We have to have an environment here where that is met.” While Labour may be keen to call itself a pro-growth government, there is no secret that the business community - from the small enterprises to the top chief executives - are deeply unimpressed. We ask how the government's relationship with the business community really going? "There is a fundamental issue at the heart of this whole debate, and that's that until we get solid, sustained, sizeable growth into our economy ... Then no business as a sector is going to be able to move forward at the pace at which I would like."And as the world's most valuable tech giants continue their march toward the public markets, the IPO pipeline is overwhelmingly American. SpaceX, Anthropic, OpenAI - the names generating the most excitement among investors are filing to list in New York. The NASDAQ continues to offer valuations that the London Stock Exchange simply cannot match. ""I hope that the plus side for Britain when it comes to these big American IPOs is that it will create a sense of excitement about IPO' ing itself because, of course, most of the trend in recent years has gone from private investment into private companies," he says on the show. The London Stock Exchange is now doing a regular drumbeat of IPOs. It's now back in the business."Presenters:- Hannah Prevett, associate business editor of The Sunday Times- Dominc O’Connell, Times columnist and Times Radio business reporterGuest: - Peter Kyle, Business Secretary Producer: Hope FedericoExecutive Producer: Miriam HallPhoto credit: GettyGet in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com

The three largest share listings ever are about to happen. SpaceX, Anthropic and OpenAI are set to sell their shares to the public, and each will be valued at one trillion dollars or more. On this episode of the Business, we ask: How will the markets find the money? Should we be worried about the world stock market being even more dominated by a tiny handful of companies? And will we ever see something like this in the UK?Presenters:- Hannah Prevett, associate business editor of The Sunday Times- Dominic O’Connell, Times columnist and Times Radio business reporterGuests: Maike Currie, VP of personal finance at PensionBee Check Warner, co-founding partner of Ada Ventures Producer: Hope FedericoExecutive Producer: Miriam HallPhoto credit: GettyGet in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com

Nuclear fusion proponents believe their technology will supply power through the grid by the 2030s. These hopes come at a time when private investment in the commercial industry exceeds $10bn globally. Is the industry on the cusp of greatness? What companies are getting in early? Presenter:Dominic O’Connell, columnist at The Times and business correspondent at Times RadioGuests:Warrick Matthews, CEO of Tokamak EnergyDr Melanie Windridge, founder of Fusion Energy Insights, Producer: Hope FedericoExecutive Producer: Miriam HallPhoto credit: Tokamak EnergyGet in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com