Tories say £10bn ‘Britannia Shield’ would fend off missiles Politics Kemi Badenoch has said a “Britannia shield” worth £10bn would fend off missile attacks from hostile countries as the party expanded its defence policy on Tuesday. Badenoch said the extra spending on defence pledged by the party last month would be allocated on radar, command and interceptor missile systems that would protect Britain’s infrastructure and [...]
Heathrow and housing: Griffith pledges ‘most ambitious deregulation project’ in generation Politics The Conservatives’ pick for chancellor has pledged to roll out the “most ambitious deregulation project in a generation” as he is set to say plans could cut £50,000 off the price of a new home. Andrew Griffith, the shadow chancellor, will say on Monday he will slash red tape for businesses across construction, supermarkets and [...]
Chancellor’s ‘new age of industrialisation’ claim raises eyebrows in the City Politics Chancellor John Healey will make upgrades to the Royal Navy central to his flagship speech at the Labour Party conference on Tuesday as he promised a “new age of industrialisation’. The former defence secretary has indicated that shipbuilding will make a key part of Andy Burnham’s pledge to revive Britain’s industrial base across the country. [...]
Manufacturing growth loses momentum as economic risks loom September 1, 2026 The manufacturing sector suffered a slowdown in growth over August as smaller firms struggled to clinch new orders. S&P Global researchers suggested growth in the manufacturing sector eased in August as the purchasing managers’ index (PMI) reading dropped from 51.9 in July to 51.7. The reading remains above the neutral 50 mark, indicating that activity [...]
Tory and Labour councillors spar over £300m Hammersmith Bridge plans August 14, 2026 Tensions are mounting between Labour and Tory councillors in nearby authorities over restoration plans for Hammersmith Bridge, which has been closed to motorists for seven years. Arch rivals in Hammersmith & Fulham and Wandsworth councils have sparred over an application to a £1bn government fund for infrastructure. The lack of progress over the bridge’s repair [...]
Manufacturers overcome gloomy economy as output surge continues August 3, 2026 Manufacturers have overcome a gloomy economic outlook across the country as businesses boosted production to levels not seen in almost two years, new data has revealed. According to S&P Global’s monthly survey of output across manufacturers, business activity continued to increase in what was the ninth consecutive month of growth in the sector. The purchasing [...]
BAE Systems raises guidance yet Burnham wavers on defence July 30, 2026 BAE Systems raised its guidance after a series of contract wins yet optimism over spending top-ups may have faded after Prime Minister Andy Burnham refused to commit to lifting expenditure. The aerospace and arms company said profit for the first half of the year amounted to more than £1bn while sales also improved on the [...]
Rolls-Royce share jump as profit beats expectations July 30, 2026 Rolls-Royce shares jumped on Thursday after the company hiked its targets and posted a near 50 per cent jump in operating profits in the first half of the year, as it reaps the rewards of a boom in defence spending. The FTSE 100 engineering firm said rising profitability across all of its divisions resulted in [...]
Babcock and Rolls-Royce stocks rally after Healey appointment July 21, 2026 Defence stocks including Rolls-Royce have stormed to new highs as investors added to bets that the new Chancellor John Healey would plough further cash into London-listed arms companies. Defence supply giants Babcock and BAE Systems were among the biggest risers when markets opened on Tuesday, some 12 hours after former defence secretary Healey was appointed [...]
Government intervenes on foreign takeover bids for UK defence firms July 2, 2026 Ministers have intervened in a flurry of foreign takeover attempts on British defence firms in the past year over concerns the bids posed a threat to national security, City AM can reveal. The government unit that scrutinises takeovers “called in” 24 proposed bids from foreign buyers between the first quarter of 2025 and the end [...]