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More than 40 years after Every Breath You Take topped the charts, the bitter feud between Sting and his former Police bandmates has spilled back into court.
Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland have filed a lawsuit in London’s High Court claiming they should be recognised — and paid — as co-writers of the 1983 classic, one of the most played songs in radio history.
The case marks an extraordinary new chapter in one of rock’s most fractious relationships. The Police were notorious for their internal conflicts, but this is the first time the dispute over songwriting credits has gone before a judge.
A song with no mystery — except who owns it
There is little debate about the song’s origins. Sting has always said he wrote the words, chords and melody in one burst of inspiration while staying in Jamaica. His original demo is almost identical to the released version on the band’s Synchronicity album.
What Summers and Copeland now argue is that their contributions — in particular Summers’ distinctive guitar arpeggio riff — transformed the track from a rough sketch into a timeless hit. Summers has described his part as rescuing the song from “going in the trash”.
Summers and Copeland (pictured) now argue is that their contributions
Sting, for his part, has acknowledged that Summers added his stamp but insists the structure and composition were his alone. The line between songwriting and arranging has long been one of the music industry’s thorniest disputes, and the Police’s case has brought it into sharp relief.
The financial stakes are enormous. Since its release, Every Breath You Take has generated millions in royalties. It was declared the most played song in radio history by BMI in 2019, and it enjoyed a second life when Puff Daddy (now Diddy) reworked it into 1997’s global chart-topper I’ll Be Missing You.
In 2022 Sting sold the rights to his entire catalogue — solo and Police — to Universal Music for an estimated $250m. Any change to the credits could force a renegotiation of royalties on one of the most valuable catalogues in popular music.
The lawsuit is just the latest skirmish in a long war. Recording sessions for Synchronicity were fraught, with fistfights breaking out in the studio. Sting and Copeland once clashed so violently that Sting performed much of the subsequent tour with a broken rib.
Despite their musical chemistry, the band split soon after the album’s release, citing irreconcilable tensions. They reunited only briefly, most notably for a lucrative 2007 world tour.
The case also highlights how publishing revenues have become even more critical as album sales and traditional income streams have dwindled. For veteran musicians, song credits determine not only their income but also their legacy.
Summers has long suggested he deserved a share. “That riff has become a kind of immortal guitar part that all guitar players have to learn,” he said last year. “It should have been recognised.”
The irony is that the song itself, often mistaken for a romantic ballad, is in fact about obsession and control. “It’s quite wicked,” Sting once said. He even wrote a follow-up — If You Love Somebody Set Them Free — as an antidote to what he described as the “poison” of the original.
Now, four decades on, the song’s dark subtext has been matched by a bitter legal row that shows no sign of ending.
Whether Summers and Copeland can persuade a court that their contributions amount to songwriting rather than arrangement remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the war inside The Police is far from over, and one of the world’s most famous love songs continues to leave a trail of acrimony in its wake.
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Sting to face fresh legal battle with The Police over ‘Every Breath You Take’

There are around 700,000 disabled people in the UK who want to work but are not in employment, according to the Department for Work and Pensions. Disabled people also leave jobs at twice the rate of non-disabled colleagues.
There is a persistent “disability employment gap”, which is the difference in employment rates between disabled and non-disabled people. Right now, the gap stands at 28%.
A recent government review revealed that the gap is widest for men, older people aged 50 to 64, people with no qualifications, and those living in social housing. Regionally, it is most marked in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and the north of England.
Disabled people are also more likely to be in part-time or lower-skilled roles, and more likely to be “under-employed”, looking for more hours or a different job.
Why this matters to employers
The figures show a large pool of people who want to work and who could bring valuable skills. Widening recruitment practices to encourage candidates with disabilities is not only the right thing to do, but also beneficial for business. It opens up access to high-quality applicants, improves staff retention, and supports a more diverse workforce.
Inquiry now open
The House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee has launched an inquiry into employment support for disabled people and how to improve their job prospects. It wants to hear directly from businesses, people with disabilities, and experts about what works and what doesn’t. Submissions are open until 29 September 2025.
Questions the Committee is asking include:

Why has progress in closing the disability employment gap slowed?
What barriers stop disabled people from working or working more?
What support works best for people with different disabilities?
How effective are current schemes, such as Access to Work?
How successful has the Disability Confident scheme been in improving employer practices?

After reviewing the evidence, the Committee will make recommendations to the government.
Support available for employers
Access to Work is a grant to help cover the cost of adjustments, enabling someone to start or stay in work if they have a physical or mental health condition or disability. It can pay for:

Specialist equipment or assistive software
Support workers
Travel costs if public transport can’t be used
Communication support at job interviews, such as a BSL interpreter
Mental health support plans and one-to-one sessions with a mental health professional

Full details on eligibility and the application process are available on the government website. Importantly, the grant goes to the employee, not the employer, so the cost does not fall on your business. Find out more about the Access to Work scheme here.
Disability Confident
Disability Confident is a voluntary scheme that helps employers challenge assumptions and improve their recruitment practices, as well as increase their understanding of disability. It has three levels of membership and is designed to show a clear commitment to inclusive hiring. For businesses, joining can bring reputational benefits, widen the candidate pool, and demonstrate to customers that your business values fairness.
Pay gap vs. employment gap
It is worth noting that the disability employment gap (who gets into work) is different from the disability pay gap (what people earn once in work). The government has recently consulted on whether large employers should be required to publish data on disability and ethnicity pay gaps. That consultation closed in June 2025, with proposals still to be announced. You can read more about that in my previous article here.
What can employers do now

Review recruitment practices to ensure job advertisements and processes are inclusive and equitable.
Consider Access to Work. It can help remove the cost barrier to hiring staff with disabilities.
Consider signing up to Disability Confident to demonstrate commitment.
Keep an eye on the Committee inquiry, as the findings may shape future policy.

Read more:
700,000 disabled people want to work: How can businesses help and benefit at the same time?

Kemi Badenoch has pledged that a Conservative government would strip out all net zero requirements for North Sea oil and gas operators and focus solely on “maximising extraction” of fossil fuels.
In a speech in Aberdeen on Tuesday, the Tory leader is expected to promise that her party will “get all our oil and gas out of the North Sea”, dismissing emissions reduction rules as a burden on producers that drive up household bills.
“The UK is leaving vital resources untapped while neighbours like Norway extract them from the same seabed,” Badenoch said, adding that it was “absurd” to restrict drilling in pursuit of net zero targets.
A dramatic policy shift
The plan represents a major reversal of Conservative climate policy. In 2019 Theresa May’s government enshrined the 2050 net zero target in law, aligning the UK with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global temperature rises to well below 2C.
But Badenoch has argued that hitting net zero by 2050 is “impossible” and said she would scrap obligations for oil and gas firms to cut emissions or invest in carbon capture. The approach echoes Donald Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” stance in the US and diverges sharply from the Biden administration’s clean energy subsidies.
It also puts the Conservatives at odds with the Labour government, which has committed to banning new exploration licences. A government spokesperson said: “Exploring new fields will not take a penny off bills or improve energy security, but it will accelerate the worsening climate crisis.”
Industry and political reaction
The pledge has divided opinion. Trade body Offshore Energies UK said producing oil and gas domestically was vital while the country still relied on fossil fuels. Chief executive David Whitehouse said: “The choice is clear — do we prioritise our homegrown energy or sacrifice jobs to rely on imports? While we use oil and gas, let us produce it here responsibly, alongside an accelerated rollout of renewables.”
However, environmental groups and opposition parties condemned the plan. Tessa Khan of campaign group Uplift called it “reckless” and warned it would mean “more emissions, more environmental harm and more handouts to oil and gas giants at the nation’s expense”.
Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson Tim Farron branded the move “irresponsible environmental vandalism”, while Green MP Ellie Chowns said: “The best option for British jobs and growth is investment in green industries, not clinging to the technology of the 20th century.”
The bigger picture
Scientists have warned that 2024 was the first year global average temperatures exceeded 1.5C above pre-industrial levels — the Paris Agreement’s lower threshold — making it the hottest year since records began.
The Scottish government has also urged caution. Gillian Martin, Scotland’s energy secretary, said the North Sea basin was “maturing” and that a “responsible approach” required planning for a transition to new fuels while protecting the North East’s skilled workforce.
The current Labour government points to “the biggest ever investment in offshore wind and three carbon capture and storage clusters” as evidence of its commitment to both energy security and climate goals.
With energy security and climate policy set to be flashpoints in the next election, Badenoch’s pledge underlines the Conservatives’ strategy to position themselves as the party of fossil fuel expansion — even as global pressure mounts to accelerate the shift to renewables.
Read more:
Tories pledge to scrap net zero rules and extract “all oil and gas” from North Sea

One of the UK’s leading tech investors has urged pension funds to increase backing for British scale-ups, warning that too much of the upside from high-growth firms is flowing overseas.
Saul Klein, co-founder of venture capital firm Phoenix Court, said that the UK has become Europe’s leading hub for “thoroughbreds” — fast-growing tech firms with revenues above $100 million — but suffers from a chronic lack of domestic growth capital.
According to Dealroom data, the UK now has 191 venture-backed thoroughbreds and more than 600 companies generating revenues above $25 million. By contrast, only 20 per cent of the funding for these businesses comes from UK investors, leaving 80 per cent of the returns to overseas backers.
“For over a decade, venture capital has been gripped by unicorns,” Klein said, referring to start-ups valued at over $1 billion. “But the real test of a company is not valuation, it is fundamentals. The UK now has more than 800 scale-ups generating over £25 million in revenues — more than France, Germany and the Netherlands combined — making us second only to Silicon Valley.”
Companies highlighted as UK thoroughbreds include Revolut, Monzo, Tide and Multiverse. In earlier eras, Klein noted, firms such as Monzo and Revolut would already have listed on the public markets. Today, he argued, investors must view long-term growth as the true benchmark of success.
Europe is estimated to lag the US by $57 billion in later-stage growth funding, according to Dealroom. Klein said UK pension funds had a unique opportunity to fill this gap, both to boost domestic returns and to build long-term value for savers.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is already trying to encourage pension schemes to invest in private companies through her Mansion House accord. Klein said reforms could unlock as much as £200 billion of committed capital for scale-ups, with the British Business Bank now operating at “the scale of a sovereign wealth fund”.
“With the chancellor’s reforms, there is significant upside if local authority funds reach equivalent levels of commitment,” Klein said. “Yet only 20 per cent of the capital backing UK scale-ups is domestic. When these firms succeed, 80 per cent of the upside flows overseas to fund pensions and infrastructure abroad.”
Klein, whose firm Phoenix Court backs 54 UK scale-ups, said pension funds should see British tech as the engine of jobs, productivity and growth. “Britain must back the very businesses that are creating jobs, driving productivity and powering its future,” he said.
The warning comes as Reeves faces pressure to balance the books without stifling growth in the autumn budget. For many in the industry, unlocking domestic capital for UK scale-ups is seen as critical to ensuring Britain remains globally competitive in technology and innovation.
Read more:
Pension funds urged to back UK tech scale-ups as billions in returns flow overseas

HM Revenue & Customs is seeking to recover about £90 million in unpaid taxes from temporary staffing business Challenge Recruitment Group, after the company was rescued from insolvency in an £18 million pre-pack administration deal.
The US workforce platform swipejobs acquired Challenge’s core assets in July, taking over contracts with major UK clients including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Co-op. Administrators FRP confirmed that the deal paid £4.9m for Challenge’s contracts and £12.7m to secured lenders Close Brothers and Praetura Asset Finance, repaying private funders in full.
By contrast, HMRC and other unsecured creditors are expected to recover only a fraction of what they are owed.
According to FRP’s report, four Challenge group companies in administration owe HMRC around £34m. A further £56m liability sits with TLR White Trading, a company spun out of Challenge in October 2024 to handle payroll and staffing costs. TLR White entered insolvency in April 2025, leaving months of VAT and PAYE unpaid.
The case marks the second time the business has collapsed leaving HMRC with heavy losses. In 2022, when trading as IF Trade Co, the group transferred contracts to Challenge-trg before entering administration with another £34m owed to the exchequer.
Brothers Richard and Thomas Cropper, directors of both IF Trade and Challenge, sold 75% of Challenge to an employee ownership trust in October 2024, nine months before the latest administration. They have since been retained on a six-month consultancy contract by swipejobs.
The affair highlights the practice known as “phoenixism”, where companies are liquidated and re-emerge under new entities, leaving debts — particularly unpaid taxes — behind. HMRC estimates phoenixism accounted for 22% of the £3.8bn in tax losses in 2022–23.
An HMRC spokesperson said: “As the chancellor announced in her spring statement, the government is taking action to improve collaboration between HMRC, Companies House and the Insolvency Service to tackle those using contrived corporate insolvencies and dissolutions — so-called ‘phoenixism’ — to evade tax.”
The revelations come as Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces growing pressure to raise additional revenues in the autumn budget to plug a fiscal gap of up to £40bn. Business groups have warned, however, that piling further tax rises onto firms could dampen investment and growth.
For HMRC, the Challenge case underscores the scale of unpaid tax liabilities being written off in insolvencies — and the urgency of reforms to stop repeat collapses leaving the taxpayer short-changed.
Read more:
HMRC chasing £90m in unpaid taxes after staffing firm Challenge rescued from insolvency

Jeremy Clarkson’s hit Amazon Prime series Clarkson’s Farm is fuelling a surge in applications to agricultural colleges across the UK, with teenagers citing the show as their first introduction to careers in land management and farming.
While Clarkson is the star of the programme, admissions officers say the real inspiration for many applicants has been Charlie Ireland — the land agent and agronomist nicknamed “Cheerful Charlie”, who has become an unlikely ambassador for rural land management.
The Royal Agricultural University (RAU) reported an 11 per cent increase in applications for its three-year rural land management BSc course compared with last year, with the version of the degree that includes a farm placement up 18 per cent. Applications for its two-year rural land management foundation degree rose by 14 per cent, while interest in its three-year agriculture courses climbed 4 per cent, and agricultural courses with farm placements grew 8 per cent.
Miles, an RAU spokesperson, said: “It’s looking like programmes like Clarkson’s Farm are having an effect. The interest goes beyond ‘I can do farming’ – there’s also rising enthusiasm for the range of professional roles involved in making farms succeed.”
At Harper Adams University, which runs its own 550-hectare working farm, staff have noticed a “ripple effect” at open days. Lecturer Andrew Black said Charlie Ireland’s role on the show had sparked curiosity among prospective students, while vice-chancellor Ken Sloan said the programme highlighted the mix of skills modern farming requires, from robotics and automation to land and property management.
“The strength of shows like this is how they show the breadth of experience needed, even for celebrities or soap stars, to make a farm work,” Sloan said. “That’s translating into a broader range of students exploring agri-food as a career.”
Plumpton College in East Sussex, which has doubled its student numbers over the past decade, has also acknowledged the “Jeremy effect”. Principal Jeremy Kerswell noted that while Clarkson’s Farm had raised awareness, growth in student interest was also the result of years of strong educational practice across the sector.
The show has also opened doors for non-farming entrants through initiatives like Kaleb Cooper’s bursary at RAU. The tractor driver turned farm manager launched the scheme in 2023 to support students without agricultural backgrounds. Successful applicants receive a £3,000 grant and the opportunity to apply for a work placement with Cooper or his partners.
Two bursaries are currently awarded annually, one funded by Cooper and the other by the Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust, with discussions underway to expand the scheme.
Rupert Jones, 20, from Bournemouth, who received a bursary last year, said the show gave him confidence to pursue farming.
“For a lot of people from non-farming backgrounds, Clarkson’s Farm presented it in a way they hadn’t considered. Seeing the challenges directly from Clarkson himself made me excited about the industry. It can be daunting if you don’t come from farming, but the bursary gave me confidence.”
With applications climbing and more young people inspired by what they see on screen, colleges say Clarkson’s Farm has given British agriculture a much-needed public relations boost — and a pipeline of future farmers and land managers.
Read more:
Clarkson’s Farm credited with surge in agricultural college applications

Greg Jackson, the outspoken founder of Octopus Energy, has been appointed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to join the Cabinet Office board as a non-executive adviser, giving him an influential role at the heart of government.
The appointment marks a significant move to bring private sector expertise into Whitehall decision-making. Jackson, whose energy supplier has grown from a start-up in 2015 to a company valued at £9 billion, is expected to use his three-year term to challenge traditional thinking and push for modernisation across government.
Jackson has built a reputation for being unafraid to clash with policymakers. Only weeks ago ministers rejected his proposal to split the national energy market into regional zones, arguing it would have left households in the South East paying more while cutting bills in Scotland.
He defended the plan as a way to better align electricity prices with local supply and demand, encouraging energy-intensive industries to relocate to renewable-rich regions such as Scotland and stimulating further green investment.
Although the policy was dropped, Jackson said he would “respectfully disagree” with the decision, signalling his determination to continue pressing for reforms.
As a non-executive member of the Cabinet Office board, Jackson will provide external input to help civil servants and ministers shape long-term strategy and implementation. His appointment is part of a wider drive to bring in expertise from business and industry to improve the delivery of public services.
Jackson has already become a familiar face in Westminster. Official records show he and Octopus colleagues held 10 meetings with senior Labour ministers in the 12 weeks following the general election.
Speaking after his appointment, Jackson said: “Having been brought up with a sense of civic duty, I’m really proud to have the chance to contribute to public service. Finding ways to improve services without spending more is key to public services, the economy and our society, and if through business I’ve learned lessons on technology, delivery and organisation that can be useful to government, it’s an honour to share those.”
A former head of the Labour List pressure group, Jackson’s political connections and business track record make him a high-profile addition to Starmer’s advisory circle. With energy policy and public service reform high on the government’s agenda, his presence on the board is expected to shape thinking well beyond the energy sector.
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Octopus Energy founder Greg Jackson appointed to UK government advisory board

Small Business Saturday’s nationwide roadshow will return this autumn, touring 23 towns and cities across the UK to celebrate the impact of local entrepreneurs and encourage communities to support small firms.
Launching in Scotland in early November, the roadshow — known as The Tour — will kick off in Lossiemouth, Aberdeenshire and Edinburgh, before travelling across the UK. Stops include Belfast, Manchester, Durham, Preston, Carlisle, Derby, Grimsby, Wrexham, Hereford, Newport, Plymouth, Salisbury, Cambridge and London.
Backed by BT, the initiative will spotlight local firms from bakers and chocolatiers to cycling adventure companies and shoe repair businesses, recognising their contribution to local economies, job creation and communities.
Michelle Ovens CBE, director of Small Business Saturday UK, said: “Small Business Saturday is all about championing the incredible entrepreneurs who bring passion, innovation, and heart to communities across the UK. The Tour gives us the opportunity to hit the road and engage directly with the nation’s favourite small businesses, celebrating their unique stories and the essential role they play in strengthening local economies.”
The campaign, now in its 13th year, is a grassroots, non-commercial initiative encouraging shoppers to ‘shop local’. Last year, it generated billions of pounds in spending and engaged millions of consumers nationwide. This year’s Small Business Saturday takes place on 6 December and is supported by American Express.
Coinciding with the roadshow, the campaign will also deliver a month of free online support for entrepreneurs, including daily workshops, mentoring and events featuring industry experts and small business leaders.
In line with its commitment to sustainability, The Tour will once again use electric vehicles to cover its 3,000-mile route, showcasing the greener choices many small firms are making on the road to net zero.
Chris Sims, chief commercial officer for UK Business at BT, said: “Small businesses are vital to the UK economy, and providing entrepreneurs with the right support is crucial to their success. The Tour offers a great platform to engage with small businesses across the country, delivering tailored advice and resources to help them grow and adapt.”
With retailers, service providers and start-ups all facing continued economic pressure, organisers say the roadshow is more important than ever in showing how small businesses remain the backbone of Britain’s economy.
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Small Business Saturday UK roadshow to tour 23 towns and cities this autumn

The UK is emerging as one of the world’s most attractive destinations for technology businesses, outpacing rivals in the US, Europe and Asia-Pacific, according to new research from Barclays.
The bank’s latest Business Prosperity Index found that 62 per cent of UK tech leaders see their home market as a better place to grow and scale a business than mainland Europe, with 61 per cent preferring the UK to Asia-Pacific and 60 per cent favouring it over the US.
Executives cited strong domestic market opportunities, access to a diverse talent pool and faster consumer adoption of new technologies as key advantages for the UK compared to other global hubs.
The findings come amid surging demand for artificial intelligence. Barclays found that 95 per cent of firms reported rising client appetite for AI-powered products and services, with half of companies planning to boost AI investment by at least 20 per cent over the next year.
Confidence in the wider economy is also supporting growth plans. More than three-quarters of tech firms (76 per cent) said the UK macroeconomic climate was providing a boost, while 75 per cent believed the political landscape would support growth over the next three years.
Barclays’ anonymised client data pointed to stronger financial foundations across the sector. Cash inflows rose 1.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2025 compared with a year earlier, while savings account balances climbed 21.5 per cent as companies held onto cash for future growth. Overdraft usage fell by more than a quarter, suggesting firms were moving away from short-term borrowing and focusing on longer-term planning.
Despite the optimism, tech firms highlighted persistent obstacles to investment. The biggest concerns were high fundraising costs (40 per cent), heavy regulatory compliance requirements (36 per cent) and limited government funding and grants (33 per cent).
A large majority (72 per cent) said stronger government backing was crucial to sustaining growth. Tech leaders called for more targeted support, including specialist funding programmes (44 per cent), measures to attract overseas investors (37 per cent), enhanced tax incentives for equity investment (36 per cent) and additional grants for start-ups and smaller firms (36 per cent).
Helena Sans, Head of Technology, Media & Telecoms & Innovation Banking at Barclays UK Corporate Bank, said the research showed Britain “holding its own on the global tech stage”.
“To keep up this momentum, we’ve got to break down the remaining roadblocks – including access to funding, attracting global investors, and building a stronger appetite for risk,” she said. “That’s why we recently launched our Innovation Banking team and a bespoke £250m Growth Lending Fund to give fast-growing tech businesses the capital they need to scale.”
Barclays has also committed £22 billion through its Business Prosperity Fund, designed to provide lending, refinancing and tailored support for innovative companies at every stage of their growth.
With AI adoption accelerating and confidence in the UK’s role as a global tech hub on the rise, the research suggests Britain’s technology sector is positioning itself for a decisive period of expansion – provided investment barriers can be addressed.
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UK seen as top destination for tech growth ahead of US, Europe and APAC, says Barclays