Tech investment provides Starmer with some light relief September 17, 2025 The Special Relationship will be on display this week, but it will also be tested. On a commercial level, things are rumbling along rather nicely; £30bn of US investment into the UK’s AI infrastructure is nothing to sniff at. Donald Trump’s state visit comes with its own political baggage, on which more in a moment, [...]
‘Exhausting’ house buying process damaging the economy, says Santander September 17, 2025 The UK’s outdated house buying process and rate of failed transactions are costing the economy at least £1.5bn a year, one of Britain’s biggest high street banks has warned. According to a report from Santander UK, over half a million failed housing transactions are costing consumers £560m directly, with some costs, including the costs of [...]
OBR ‘downgrades productivity’ in major pre-Budget blow to Rachel Reeves September 16, 2025 The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has reportedly told Chancellor Rachel Reeves that it will downgrade productivity forecasts for the UK economy, blowing a hole in the public finances and making tax hikes all but guaranteed at this year’s November Budget. In another setback for the Labour government, the OBR has informed the Treasury that [...]
Keir Starmer pressed to ‘come clean’ on Mandelson sacking September 16, 2025 Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been pressed to “come clean” on how the sacking of former ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson unfolded and the process that led to his appointment last year. Starmer, who was not present at an emergency debate on Mandelson’s sacking on Tuesday, said on Monday that he would not have [...]
Donald Trump to Keir Starmer’s rescue – or torment? September 16, 2025 President Donald Trump will look out of Air Force One’s windows to see England’s green and pleasant land before arriving this afternoon. He will surely be giddy with excitement about his meeting with the King and a very royal carriage procession inside Windsor Castle’s grounds tomorrow. He will also be pleased to see his unlikely [...]
Firms continue to shed workers as jobs market deteriorates September 16, 2025 The collapse of the UK jobs market has deepened, according to official data, undermining the Labour government’s goal to boost employment. Firms continued to shed workers as the number of payrolled employees dropped by 6,000 in July, adding to a collapse of 142,000 over the year. Provisional estimates suggest there was a fall of 8,000 [...]
Big pharma’s devastating retreat from the UK September 16, 2025 Merck and AstraZeneca’s withdrawal from UK investment is a warning signal to Rachel Reeves – but is she listening? Asks Oliver Dean Both AstraZeneca and Merck’s decision to abandon their respective UK expansions is more than a corporate setback. It is a catastrophic loss of jobs, investment and future innovation and the public are now [...]
Parents’ secrecy on inheritance plans leaves children facing unexpected tax burdens September 15, 2025 Parents are choosing not to tell their children about their inheritance plans, leaving them at risk of being slapped with unexpected tax bills, new research has found. According to investment manager Charles Stanley, more than a third of Brits have an alarming lack of knowledge of how their parents plan to pass down wealth, despite [...]
Keir Starmer ‘has until May’ as polling sends warning shot September 15, 2025 Keir Starmer has been told he has until next May’s local elections to turn fortunes around as polling has sent the prime minister an ominous warning about his future. The Prime Minister is facing intense pressure from Labour MPs after new questions were raised about his appointment and judgment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to [...]
Siddiq, Rayner, Mandelson: Starmer has proven himself a disastrous judge of character September 15, 2025 Angela Rayner and Lord Mandelson are just the latest examples of Starmer's erring judgement when it comes to character, writes Eliot Wilson.