Government AI pushed stalled by old tech May 16, 2025 The UK public sector is facing a digital crisis, with pressure mounting to roll out AI-driven services, enhance citizen engagement, and modernise remote working. But the sector is being dragged back by legacy systems, disconnected platforms, and chronic budget constraints. A new report from CX platform provider 8×8 and Cavell Group analysts has revealed that [...]
PHP makes surprise third approach for Assura at £1.68bn May 16, 2025 Primary Health Properties has made a third approach for Assura as the war for the real estate investment trust heats up. PHP has offered £1.68bn for Assura, valuing its share price at 51.7p – a premium of 38.2 per cent to the company’s closing share price of 37.4 pence on February 13. This is the [...]
Safe as houses? Landsec bets on build-to-rent May 16, 2025 Property investment group Land Securities – known as Landsec – has turned away from offices and towards housebuilding in a major pivot. It said long-term demographic trends made housing a better bet than the cyclical office market, which is set to slow from its current high growth rate as supply constraints ease The company’s chief [...]
Sunday Times Rich List sport: Beckham, Ratcliffe, West Ham United May 16, 2025 A host of Premier League football club owners dominate the sporting names in this year’s Sunday Times Rich List. Both current and former owners of some of the Premier League’s biggest club make the annual fortune list. Newcastle United co-owners the Reuben brothers and Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe each make the top 10, [...]
Natwest and Lloyds to rake in millions from a ring-fencing shakeup May 16, 2025 Natwest and Lloyds are set for a major cash bump if Chancellor Rachel Reeves rips up the ring-fencing regime imposed on lenders, fresh data shows. FTSE 100 banking giants have lobbied the Chancellor to axe the system, which they described as a “drag on banks”. The bosses of HSBC, Lloyds, Natwest and Santander slammed the [...]
Newcastle United and Fulham warned by Gambling Commission May 16, 2025 Newcastle United and Fulham are among five football clubs who have been warned by the Gambling Commission over sponsorship deals with unlicensed betting company TGP Europe. TGP Europe, a white-label operator for more than 30 gambling websites including Fun88 and SBOTOP, has surrendered its UK licence after being fined £3.3m for breaching regulations. The clubs [...]
‘Chagos chaos’ continues as deal is put ‘on hold’ May 16, 2025 The government has put the much-contested Chagos islands deal ‘on hold’ after outcry from Labour backbenchers. The deal would see sovereignty over the Chagos islands returned to Mauritius, but with the UK and US paying to continue military operations on the islands. The transfer is reported to cost the UK £9bn. While President Trump has [...]
Man United owner Ratcliffe sees fortune plummet £6.5bn May 16, 2025 Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has seen his fortune plummet by £6.5bn in just one year. The latest edition of the Sunday Times Rich List sees the Brit drop to seventh with an estimated wealth of £17bn, down £6.47bn on his fortune last year. He’s been jumped by Sir James Dyson, Israeli businessman Idan [...]
Ofwat: Water regulator courts investors with refreshed PFI deals May 16, 2025 Ofwat is courting investors with plans to guarantee risk and minimise competition as it looks for more than £50bn to upgrade the water sector’s second-rate infrastructure. Private investors will have the “right to collect” revenue from customers, “opportunities for upside”, “capped liabilities” and “investment positive” support from the government, according to a briefing paper seen [...]
Natwest: Government set to sell stake in FTSE 100 giant by June May 16, 2025 The UK government is on track to sell its remaining stake in FTSE 100 lender Natwest as soon as next month after it accelerated the sell-down of its holdings. The Treasury’s share of the FTSE 100 lender is one of British banking’s longest-running sagas, dating back to the 2008 financial crisis. Natwest, then under the [...]