5 important things happening in the UK today

Here are 5 important things happening in the UK today – 16 May 2025.

• Immigration warning: Care sector groups have warned that the UK faces a massive shortfall of care workers following the government’s announcement that overseas recruitment in care will end within months, as part of a broader immigration crackdown. Executives in the sector said that there is no immediate alternative to international recruitment given the long-standing funding pressures that prevent them raising wages. [Financial Times]

• Tax dodgers: Wealthy britons are avoiding more tax than previously thought – and more are getting away with as fewer penalties are being issued for non-compliance. In a report urging ministers to redouble their efforts to secure more of the money owed by wealthy people to the exchequer, the National Audit Office (NAO) said billions of pounds was going unpaid each year. [Guardian]

• Shake up for schools: Under a new government drive to improve mental health in schools, children will be offered sessions to tackle anxiety and low mood, with struggling schools receiving extra support through attendance and behaviour hubs. Long-term the goal is to adress worsening attendace records and improve hreability. [Telegraph]

• Push for nuclear: The UK needs more nuclear energy to power the data centres needed for artificial intelligence (AI) and remain competitive, says AWS chief executive Matt Garman. Amazon Web Services (AWS), which is part of the retail giant Amazon, plans to spend £8bn on new data centres in the UK over the next four years. [BBC]

• On Friday, the pound was trading at £1.33 to the dollar, £1.19 to the euro and £9.60 to the yuan. Oil was trading slightly lower at $64.61 a barrel.