As the Chancellor prepares to deliver her Autumn Budget on 26 November, her recent “scene-setter” speech has fuelled debate about whether tax rises are inevitable - and whether manifesto pledges on income tax, National Insurance and VAT can realistically hold. With protecting the NHS, reducing national debt and improving the cost of living set as her top priorities, the question now is not if difficult choices lie ahead, but which ones.In this Director podcast episode, host Ben Walker sits downwith Dan Neidle (founder of Tax Policy Associates and one of Britain’s most respected voices on taxation and public policy) and Anna Leach (IoD Chief Economist) to unpack the tax choices and challenges facing the Chancellor ahead of the Budget. Together, they explore the fiscal and political constraints shaping this Budget, what a pro-growth yet progressive tax regime could look like in 2025, and how stability in tax policy affects business confidence and investment.
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AI governance in the boardroom
As artificial intelligence accelerates across sectors andindustries, boardrooms can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines. Once seen as a technical concern, AI is now firmly a strategic, operational and legal issue, demanding informed oversight at the highest level.In this Director episode, Ben Walker is joined by Dr ErinYoung (IoD Head of Innovation and Technology Policy), Pauline Norstrom (member of the IoD Science, Innovation and Technology Expert Advisory Group, founder and CEO of Anekanta®, and creator of the Anekanta® 12 Principles of AI Governance), and Mario Thomas (Chartered Director, Fellow of the IoD, and enterprise transformation leader) to discuss the evolving role of boards in governing AI responsibly.Drawing on the IoD’s latest paper, AI Governance in the Boardroom, they explore the practical steps directors can take today, from embedding ethical oversight and risk resilience to navigating complex regulation such as the EU AI Act.Together, they address key questions: What does good board-level AI governance actually look like? How can non technical directors challenge complex systems with confidence? And which principles are most urgent for boards to act on now?Full guest bios available on IoD.com
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The Employment Rights Bill
As Parliament heads into summer recess, the Employment Rights Bill continues its journey through the House of Lords, having reached report stage. Meanwhile, the government has released its implementation roadmap, offering a clearer, though still evolving, picture of how these reforms will roll out in practice. With the potential to reshape key aspects of employment law and practice, this Bill is one of the most significant developments for UK employers in recent years.In this episode, host Ben Walker sits down with Alex Hall-Chen, IoD Principal Policy Advisor for Employment, and Jim Wright CDir, International employment law partner at Knights, to unpack what the Employment Rights Bill means for businesses and business leaders across the UK.Together they explore how the Bill has been received by employers so far, what concerns have been raised by IoD members, and whether those concerns have been reflected in the government's approach. And from a legal perspective, they dive into the most impactful changes on the horizon and what organisations, particularly SMEs, should be preparing for now.
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The relaunch of Director magazine
On the 19 June, we were delighted to publish the first edition of the new Director magazine.The Summer 2025 edition of Director – HIGH OR DRY: Can Reeves’ growth plan win back business? – features articles including:Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds on the government’s plans to boost the British economyAn interview with TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak on productivityIoD Chief Economist Anna Leach on whether the economy is a game of chanceProfessor Andrew Scott on the silver generation and the need for businesses to have an ageing strategyProfessor Margaret Heffernan on the trouble with AIDr Tim Hames on why geopolitical ignorance will wreck your businessIn this episode, the podcast’s host and Director magazine Editor, Ben Walker, is joined by Dr Roger Barker, Hugo Legh and Anna Leach. As members of the IoD Policy Team and the magazine’s Editorial Board, they discuss the contents of the first edition and the thinking that shaped its direction.
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In search of growth
As the government prepares to unveil its Spending Reviewthis week, “growth” remains the political buzzword of the moment. But with the UK still struggling to regain economic momentum more than a decade after the financial crisis, are ministers pursuing the right kind of growth—and do they even understand what drives it?In this episode, host Ben Walker is joined by Anna Leach (IoDChief Economist), and Daniel Susskind (Author of ‘Growth: A Reckoning’ (2024), ‘A World Without Work’ (2020) and Research Professor in Economics at King's College London), to explore what growth really means in today’s economy: why it matters, what’s holding the UK back, and whether our current model is fit for a future shaped by AI, automation, and global competition. From the legacy of 2008 to the transatlantic growth gap, we unpack the forces shaping prosperity—and ask whether perpetual growth is even a realistic or desirable goal.
UK