November 2025: Steve joins business leaders warning against a potential raise to the UK minimum wage in the upcoming Budget. He argues that such a rise could inadvertently reward non-skilled labour over university-educated and indebted labour.

October 2025: In his role as Chair of Family Business UK, Steve gave evidence to the Finance Bill Sub-Committee on the forthcoming changes to Business Property Relief, cautioning that the reforms could deter investment and create challenges for older business owners navigating succession planning.

October 2025: Talking at Birmingham Tech Week, Steve emphasised the opportunities AI presents smaller businesses. He described how SMEs have the agility to pivot fast, allowing them to out-pace larger businesses with AI adoption.

October 2025: Steve writes in The Times that the current AI boom shouldn’t be feared as a speculative bubble but embraced as a driver of progress, just as past frenzies around railways and the Internet laid the groundwork for lasting innovation. While many ventures will fail, he argues, their legacy will mark the beginning of the next technological era, not its collapse.

September 2025: Steve talks to the Today programme about the upcoming Budget, following his meeting with the Prime Minister, Chancellor and other ministers. He welcomed the Government acknowledging the crucial role of business in driving the economy and reassurances that business taxes won’t be targeted in the Budget, while warning that any new tax pressures could hinder growth.