UK to champion global AI rulebook during G20 presidency Tech Andy Burnham has said governments, not tech companies, must make the biggest decisions about AI, as he pledged to put AI regulation at the heart of Britain’s G20 presidency. The Prime Minister used his first address to the United Nations General Assembly to call for a single set of global standards governing frontier AI, including [...]
Strong defence is the foundation of prosperity Opinion The City’s success and status as a global financial hub rests on the foundations of stability, rule of law and security. So the City should show its support however it can and we’re glad to play our own part, says Susan Langley This year’s Strategic Defence Review shone a spotlight on a question we can [...]
AI, drones and data: Defence giants splash record $4.1bn on tech start-ups Tech Investment in defence tech start-ups has reached a record high this year as the world’s biggest arms companies step up spending on new military technology. New figures from Dealroom show defence contractors including BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin and Airbus have participated in $4.1bn (£3bn) of venture capital funding rounds so far this year, the highest [...]
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 [...]
UK defence chief: Adopt AI or lose future wars June 11, 2026 Britain’s most senior military officer has warned that the UK risks losing future conflicts unless it dramatically accelerates the adoption of AI across its armed forces. Speaking at London Tech Week, chief of the defence staff Air Chief Marshall Sir Richard Knighton said AI would be as transformative for warfare as the internet was for [...]
Banks call for ‘political mandate’ to bolster European defence June 8, 2026 The banking industry has issued a rallying call for a “political mandate” from the UK and EU in a bid to get regulators to open the taps to a fresh flood of defence financing. A new report from UK Finance – which represents the nation’s financial services giants from Lloyds to Revolut – has called [...]
BT bags five-year digital contract with BAE Systems May 14, 2026 BT has signed a five-year deal with BAE Systems to provide secure connectivity across the defence giant’s global operations, as military contractors ramp up digital infrastructure spend. The contract will see BT support BAE’s network across 40 countries, with an option to extend the partnership by an additional three years. The deal comes as BAE, [...]
14 charts reveal the massive challenges facing UK and NATO defence spending April 7, 2026 Defence spending is casting a shadow over Downing Street. Military officers are in a state of despair. The choices facing Sir Keir Starmer are stark. The political calculus for the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has become more complicated than ever as the Iran war puts public finances in danger. Their difficulties go back to February 2025 [...]
Babcock shares surge as Starmer calls for Europe to ‘step up’ on defence February 16, 2026 Shares in Britain’s defence giants rallied on Monday morning as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called for Europe to “step up” on defence spending. Babcock – which plays a key role in the UK’s nuclear submarine fleet as well as naval, land and air operations – surged nearly four per cent in early trading to [...]
Financial services to plough cash into UK defence in 2026 December 29, 2025 Financial services are planning to pump cash into the UK’s defence sector next year after facing pressure to ramp up investment amid increased geopolitical tensions. Nearly two-thirds of financial services leaders expect the sector to increase investment in UK defence in 2026, with more than a quarter anticipating that investment will rise “much more” over [...]