House of Lords vote in favour of Tory-backed alternative to ‘day-one’ employment rights July 17, 2025 The House of Lords has voted vastly in favour of a Conservative-led amendment to the 'day-one' rights in the final reporting stage of the Employment Rights Bill
FCA boss sounds alarm on financial warfare and debt levels July 16, 2025 Rising sovereign debt and the growing risk of an attack on Britain’s financial infrastructure are the two biggest threats to UK markets, the boss of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has warned, as he issued a clarion call for more data on the trading of government bonds. Nikhil Rathi told peers that the danger to [...]
Senior MPs condemn banks quango chair over dodging questions July 14, 2025 Senior MPs have blasted the chair of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), the banks quango which settles complaints made by consumers against banks, for obstructing scrutiny after Abby Thomas was dismissed as chief executive. Zahida Manzoor, Baroness Manzoor, the Tory peer who leads governance of the public body settling complaints between consumers and banks, has [...]
City regulators’ growth mandate ‘pointless’ without major reform June 13, 2025 The “entrenched culture of risk aversion” at the City’s two flagship regulators has stymied meaningful progress on their mandates to aid economic growth, a House of Lords report has argued, despite persistent pressure from Westminster for them to boost UK competitiveness. In a withering assessment of the efforts made by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) [...]
Are ministers ignoring the AI copyright crisis? May 26, 2025 The UK government recently rejected a House of Lords-backed amendment to the data bill for the second time, intensifying a stand-off between policy makers and the creative industries over the role of copyright in AI development. At the centre of this dispute is a provision, introduced by Baroness Beeban Kidron, that would require AI firms [...]
‘Banter ban’ debate rages in House of Lords May 20, 2025 A House of Lords debate on the details of the Employment Rights Bill sparked a row over ‘cancel culture’ on Monday after members took sides on a clause dubbed the “banter ban.” The debate hinged on the definition of “third party harassment” and on whether employers should face a legal duty to protect staff from [...]
Lord Cruddas’ CMC Markets takes control of blockchain firm May 7, 2025 CMC Markets, the firm founded by Conservative Peer Lord Peter Cruddas, announced on Wednesday it had acquired a majority stake in StrikeX Technologies. The London-based trading firm upped its holding in the blockchain firm to 51 per cent from 33 per cent previously. Shares in CMC Markets were up 0.3 per cent in midday trading [...]
Philip Green loses legal challenge over parliamentary privilege for court injunctions April 8, 2025 A legal challenge lodged by Sir Philip Green to curb parliamentary privilege to name individuals shielded by court injunctions has been rejected by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Eight ECHR justices ruled on Tuesday that Article 8 – “Right to respect for private and family life” – had not been breached. The Strasbourg [...]
No10 communications chief to quit after nine months March 28, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer’s director of communications, Matthew Doyle, is set to quit No10 Downing Street after nine months in the job. Doyle, who served as the Prime Minister’s communications chief in opposition, is understood to be stepping down immediately after feeling he had stabilised the government’s communications strategy after a rocky first few months in [...]
Football regulator amendments: No sunset clause but concessions to critics March 28, 2025 The powers to be afforded to the independent football regulator have been clarified after the government published its list of amendments to the Football Governance Bill. Calls for a sunset clause from some Tory peers have been rejected, although the Secretary of State will be required to formally review how well the act is working [...]