Starmer positions the UK as a trailblazer in AI innovation January 13, 2025 Keir Starmer has thrown the weight of Whitehall behind AI in a bid to boost growth and position the UK as a world leader in the sector. On Monday morning, Keir Starmer revealed the UK’s ‘AI Opportunities Action Plan’, a transformative strategy to establish the UK as a global leader in AI. He said: “The [...]
Rachel Reeves to raise Ukraine and Hong Kong human rights on China trip January 11, 2025 Rachel Reeves is expected to raise Russia’s war in Ukraine and issues of human rights in Hong Kong during her trip to China. The Chancellor is visiting Beijing for the first UK-China economic and financial dialogue since 2019, with Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey and top financial services figures. Ministers are insisting the trip [...]
Rachel Reeves eyeing spending cuts in spring January 10, 2025 Rachel Reeves is considering cutting departmental spending as UK borrowing costs soar, despite risks it could “dampen” activity and “further dent anaemic” growth. The Chancellor is said to be eyeing further reductions to unprotected government departments’ budgets after she ruled out additional tax rises or more borrowing to avoid breaking her fiscal rules following the [...]
The runners and riders to replace under-fire City minister Tulip Siddiq January 10, 2025 Downing Street is reportedly weighing up a number of potential candidates to replace Tulip Siddiq as her position as City minister comes under increasing pressure. Siddiq, the niece of ousted Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Hasina, has been in the headlines since last month when she was named in an investigation into whether her Bangladeshi family embezzled [...]
Liz Truss sends cease and desist letter to Starmer over economy crash claims January 9, 2025 Liz Truss has sent a cease and desist letter to Keir Starmer demanding he stops claiming she crashed the economy. Lawyers acting on behalf of the former Prime Minister wrote that the statement is “false and defamatory”, in a letter to Starmer in which they threatened to pursue legal action if he keeps making the [...]
What is a gilt? And why should you care? January 9, 2025 Investors have been drawing comparisons to the bond market meltdown following Liz Truss's mini-Budget as well as the IMF bailout way back in 1976.
Kemi Badenoch not planning to announce big policies for two years January 9, 2025 Kemi Badenoch is reportedly not planning to announce big policies for the next two years as she plans to focus on rebuilding voters’ trust. The Conservative leader is said to have told her shadow cabinet on Tuesday that she has a “three-year plan” based on transforming her party’s fortunes following the July election defeat, according [...]
UK will launch sanctions against people smugglers, David Lammy to say January 9, 2025 The UK government is set to launch sanctions against people smugglers in a bid to disrupt irregular migration, David Lammy will announce. Ministers are launching a new sanctions regime designed to cripple the people smuggling crime rings and starve them of illicit finance fuelling their operations. Described as a world-first, it will aim to prevent, [...]
A New Year’s resolution for government: Stop setting targets January 9, 2025 From HS2 to Net Zero, governments have a habit of setting ambitious long-term goals and failing to deliver. Instead of targets, we need long-term plans to fix the nation’s problems, says John Oxley The New Year almost always brings with it talk of resolutions, intentions and targets. This is true of governments too . In [...]
PMQs: Siddiq ‘acted appropriately’ by referring herself to adviser, Starmer says January 8, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer has insisted Tulip Siddiq has “acted appropriately” by referring herself to the independent adviser on standards and said he would not give “running commentary” of the recently announced probe into her finances. The City minister referred herself to Sir Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests on Monday, for [...]