The Business

Is the UK electricity grid at risk of blackouts? We look at the alarming events of 23 June and ask if our power network is truly fit for purpose.

In Part 1 of our summer energy mini-series on The Business, Dominic O’Connell examines the growing strain on the UK electricity grid as Britain races towards its legally binding net zero commitments. From surging constraint costs to unmetered solar generation, we break down why modernising electricity transmission is vital for the wider UK economy and long-term economic growth.

We are joined by Adam Bell, former head of energy strategy for the government and partner at StoneHaven, to explore how shifting to renewables creates unprecedented stability challenges. Plus, energy developer and data analyst Ben Watts (creator of Kilowatts Grid) shares his startling analysis of what went wrong on the UK electricity grid on 23 June, and why calls are growing for greater regulation of NESO (National Energy System Operator). Can politicians protect British business and consumers from soaring power bills while overhauling energy fiscal policy?

Host:
Dominic O’Connell, business correspondent, Times Radio

Guests:
Adam Bell, Stonehaven
Ben Watts, energy developer and data analyst

Producer: Hope Federico
Executive Producers: Miriam Hall and Emily Leahy
Photo Credit: Getty

Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com

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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 fare caps and a 20 percent cut in business rates for hospitality - is real change a possibility?

“The UK is very unique in the fact that we pay two forms of income tax … national income is a tax on employers and work” Mehreen Khan, economics editor at the Times, tells The Business. “Let's see how brave they want to be…I think this is a long overdue reform.”

With Times business editor Richard Fletcher, Khan discusses the upcoming budget, how the relationship between the Chancellor and Prime Minister may play out - and just how much change the business community is expecting to see from this new leader. “ I do suspect we'll get a little bounce in consumer confidence, and hence growth, just from a new face in No. 10. How long that lasts - who knows?” Richard Fletcher said. “I think that it is going to take some quite serious reforms to do that and I'm not sure the backbenchers particularly have got the guts to do that.”

Hosts:
Hannah Prevett, associate business editor, The Sunday Times
Dominic O’Connell, business correspondent, Times Radio

Guests:
Richard Fletcher, Business editor, The Times
Mehreen Khan, Economics editor, The Times

Producer: Hope Federico
Executive Producers: Miriam Hall and Emily Leahy
Photo Credit: Getty

Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com

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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 opened Peppa Pig World, a £6 million investment that became one of the park's most popular attractions.

In this episode of The Business, Hannah Prevett, Associate Business Editor at The Sunday Times speaks with James Mancey, Deputy Managing Director, and Lawrence Mancey, the Marketing Director behind the park. The brothers behind the family-owned British business join Hannah to discuss working in rollercoasters, investing back into their brand, and what the UK hospitality sector is hoping for from a Burnham premiership.

For years, Paultons Park has been the first job for thousands of young people. James and Lawrence discuss how inflation rates, increases to National Insurance contributions, and the national minimum wage have impacted their bottom line.

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Presenter:

Hannah Prevett, associate business editor at The Sunday Times

Guests:

James Mancey, deputy managing director at Paultons Park
Lawrence Mancey, marketing director at Paultons Park

Producer: Hope Federico
Executive Producers: Emily Leahy and Miriam Hall
Photo Credit: Paultons Park
Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com
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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 Castlelake proposal - kicking off a proper takeover battle for one of the UK’s best known consumer brands.

In this episode, we consider why easyJet has become a target, and what it could mean for the future of the company.

Guest:

Tim Jeans, former head of marketing for Ryanair, a former MD of Monarch Airlines

Presenters:

Dominic O’Connell, Times columnist and Times Radio business correspondent
Hannah Prevett, associate business editor at The Sunday Times

Producer: Hope Federico
Executive Producers: Emily Leahy and Miriam Hall
Photo Credit: Getty
Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com
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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 Pop herself, Madonna.

Launched in 2009, Grindr is the world's number one dating app for gay and bisexual men, with over 15 million active users in 190 countries and territories.

Grindr CEO George Arison first interacted with the platform as a user, switching from a blackberry to an iPhone in 2009 in order to use the app. In 2022 he joined the company as CEO, believing in its mission to connect gay and bisexual men around the world, and build an online gaybourhood.

Arison discusses his upbringing in the USSR, taking Grindr public a month after joining the company and how he believes leaning into AI, and ensuring an exceptional free service are the best ways of ensuring growth.

“ Within six to 12 months, Grindr's gonna be an AI first product where AI is gonna be fully integrated into anything that a user does and the experience of that is gonna be exponentially better.”

Arison also describes the effect UK Age restriction laws have had on the country’s Grindr user-base. According to Arison, the restrictions discourage closeted users who are uncomfortable sharing data with the app, removing an important space where these individuals can connect.

Guest:
George Arison, Chief Executive Officer of Grindr

Presenter:
Dominic O’Connell, Times columnist and Times Radio business correspondent

Producer: Hope Federico
Executive Producers: Emily Leahy and Miriam Hall
Photo Credit: Getty
Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com
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