Businesses confidence slumps as Burnham prepares for power July 1, 2026 Ministers must prioritise delivery over “changes in the machinery of government” if business confidence is to recover, one of Britain’s top lobby groups has said, in a warning to Andy Burnham as he prepares to shake-up Whitehall and shift power to the North of England. In its monthly business confidence survey, the Institute of Directors [...]
Nscale and ElevenLabs power £41bn AI boom as Britain cements unicorn crown July 1, 2026 Britain’s AI sector has more than tripled in value in just a year, with fast-growing firms including Nscale and ElevenLabs now worth a combined £41bn as the UK strengthens its position as Europe’s leading startup hub. New research from the Hurun UK Unicorn Index shows the country’s nine AI unicorns have surged to a combined [...]
The real AI risk isn’t job losses, it’s who can see what June 30, 2026 Beyond the fearmongering, it’s a more mundane AI threat that will be making waves in boardrooms, writes Paul Armstrong.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream review: Fairy punk production doesn’t quite take flight June 30, 2026 A Midsummer Night's Dream is given a Last Dinner Party makeover complete with a punk fairy band, but it doesn't fully capture the magic.
Nandy ‘minded to intervene’ in Paramount’s £85bn Warner Bros takeover June 30, 2026 Culture secretary Lisa Nandy will ask the competition and media watchdogs to probe Paramount’s £85bn acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery to ensure the mega-deal doesn’t stifle the breadth of Britain’s media ecosystem. The Wigan MP said on Tuesday that she planned to authorise both the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Ofcom to examine the [...]
City launches new Digital ID framework against AI fraud June 30, 2026 The City of London Corporation has unveiled plans for a new digital identity framework it claims could unlock more than £5bn for the UK economy, as policymakers and the financial sector race to tackle increasingly sophisticated AI-enabled fraud. A blueprint published on Tuesday proposes a “Digital Verification Orchestrator”, or DVO – a system set to [...]
Everton renew Stake partnership just months after Gambling Commission warning June 30, 2026 Everton could face fresh scrutiny from the Gambling Commission after extending their partnership with bookmaker Stake.com, which is not licensed to operate in the UK. The controversial brand has been the club’s main sponsor for the last four seasons but has now switched to being their sleeve partner ahead of the Premier League’s incoming ban [...]
Starmer stumps up half the amount demanded by defence chiefs June 30, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer has coughed up just half of the amount of funding military officials requested in the long-awaited Defence Investment Plan. During a speech led by defence secretary Dan Jarvis, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the outgoing Prime Minister, ministers said they made the “right choices” and defended plans to back investment on drones and [...]
Lloyds accused of debanking left-wing media outlet The Canary June 30, 2026 Lloyds Banking Group has been accused of debanking the left-wing news website The Canary in a move that has left the media outlet with “barely any funds”. The bank was slammed by the media firm on Tuesday for allegedly “withholding a substantial amount of our money” and debanking them after nearly a decade of use. [...]
Footasylum calls in the robots with THG Fulfil warehouse deal June 30, 2026 Trainers will be shuttled across Footasylum warehouses by automated robots after the sports and streetwear firm struck a deal with logistics company THG Fulfil. THG Fulfil, a division of Manchester-based THG Ingenuity, has signed a deal with Footasylum to revamp its warehouse facilities with robots and automated operation platforms in a so-called Autostore system. The [...]