Labour will learn to love deregulation September 29, 2026 The Labour government I served in made advances in planning reform and curbing regulator overreach. But those efforts should be seen as a first step, not job done. Not least because there is barely a great progressive cause that does not now require deregulation to advance, says Alan Lockey Warm words for business are a [...]
Burnham to pledge greater control of water and energy industries September 28, 2026 Andy Burnham will double down on plans to seize greater public control of the water, energy and transport industries tomorrow as he pledges to “break with the flawed thinking of the past 40 years”. In his first speech to Labour’s conference as Prime Minister, Burnham is expected to say Britain is currently “run for vested [...]
‘Resilience or reliance’ – Tech chiefs urge Burnham to spend £20bn on ‘sovereign AI’ September 28, 2026 British tech bosses have called on the government to commit more than £20bn to sovereign AI infrastructure, warning the UK risks becoming dependent on foreign technology in one of the most important industries of the coming decades. Senior figures from BT, Telefónica Tech, Leonardo, HPE, Kainos and Sopra Steria are among the signatories to an [...]
Burnham must kill off bonkers Chagos deal for good September 28, 2026 The proposal to cede sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and pay for the privilege appeals to no voters and has lost the support of Donald Trump. Andy Burnham should pull the plug, says Eliot Wilson It became clear early in Sir Keir Starmer’s brief premiership that here was a leader of unusual political [...]
Housebuilder shares rocket after Burnham revives Help to Buy September 28, 2026 Housebuilder shares have soared after the Prime Minister announced a new Help to Buy scheme, which it is hoped will boost the UK’s construction sector. FTSE 100 housebuilders Persimmon and Barratt Redrow jumped 15 and 13 per cent in early trading, lifting the blue-chip index to early gains. FTSE 250-listed Vistry took the biggest jump [...]
Burnham: Social care reforms to be paid by new taxes September 27, 2026 Andy Burnham has said proposed social care reforms would be funded by new taxes after a General Election, claiming he wanted to create a new system where “everyone contributes”. The Prime Minister said a plan for a national care service would be presented at the next election, which may only come in 2029. Baroness Louise [...]
‘Knock that dead’: Burnham rules out calling early election September 25, 2026 Andy Burnham has said the next election will be in 2029 as he ruled out an early snap vote during interviews with local broadcasters. In an interview with ITV North West and Yorkshire, Burnham confirmed that the next General Election would take place at the end of this parliament. Reports suggested that Number 10 was [...]
‘Last days of the honeymoon’: Anxious bosses prepare charm offensive at Labour conference September 25, 2026 Ahead of the Labour Party Conference on Sunday, and one month away from the Budget, businesses are feeling nervous, write Mauricio Alencar and Felix Armstrong Stepping onto an early-morning Avanti West Coast train from London Euston is now a familiar feeling for the Prime Minister. Andy Burnham is set to make the journey more regularly [...]
White House tells AI giants to hold models back from UK safety watchdog September 25, 2026 The White House has asked OpenAI and Anthropic to withhold their latest AI models from Britain’s safety watchdog until they have been tested by the US government, threatening the UK’s prized early access to frontier tech. The request from the US Office of the National Cyber Director means the American companies have been asked to [...]
Healey plan to slash headroom would ‘not be received well’ by nervous bond market September 24, 2026 John Healey’s reported plans to slash the breathing space the government has before it breaks its spending rules would spark a negative bond market reaction and lead investors to question the country’s commitment to fiscal credibility. Bond traders told City AM that any attempt to significantly reduce its so-called fiscal headroom would leave the country [...]