Ministers must get a grip of broken benefits system, Reeves insists March 15, 2025 Rachel Reeves has doubled down on the need to reform the welfare system, insisting the government must “get a grip” on it amid concerns from Labour MPs about the impact of expected cuts to the budget. The benefits system is “broken” and is “not working for anyone”, the Chancellor said. Backbench Labour MPs have made [...]
Starmer hosts Ukraine peacekeeping talks as Putin warned not to play games March 15, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer will host further talks on a peacekeeping force for Ukraine on Saturday after warning Vladimir Putin not to play games with a proposed ceasefire. The Prime Minister is expected to hold a video call with as many as 25 potential members of the “coalition of the willing”, nations that could take part [...]
Analysis: What do Starmer’s reforms actually mean – and can they work? March 15, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer has announced his reform plans to make the British state more “innovative and effective”. The Prime Minister unveiled a series of new measures on Thursday, including the headline abolition of NHS England – the arms-length body which runs the NHS in England. But Sir Keir also spoke about his broader ambitions to [...]
No 10 says Donald Trump’s tariffs not responsible for UK economy shrinking March 14, 2025 Donald Trump’s tariffs are not responsible for the UK economy shrinking in January, Downing Street has said, in a position that appears to contradict the Chancellor’s reaction to the latest poor economic figures. According to the latest set of gross domestic product (GDP) figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the economy shrank [...]
Ed Miliband in China for climate meetings amid new investment approach March 14, 2025 Energy secretary Ed Miliband is in China for climate meetings in a bid to restart the government’s environmental dialogue with the Asian nation. The energy security and net zero secretary will meet Chinese counterparts Wang Hongzhi and Huang Runqiu to pursue efforts to work jointly to slash emissions, the government said. It marks the first [...]
Tech secretary Peter Kyle asks ChatGPT about UK businesses, AI and podcasts March 14, 2025 The UK’s technology secretary Peter Kyle has asked ChatGPT questions about UK businesses, artificial intelligence (AI) and even what podcasts he should appear on. A Freedom of Information (FoI) request submitted by the New Scientist magazine revealed Kyle, who leads the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has been making regular use of the [...]
GDP shrinks in January as UK economy prepares for upcoming tax hikes March 14, 2025 The UK economy underperformed expectations in January. According to the latest set of gross domestic product (GDP) figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the economy shrank by 0.1 per cent in January as output was dragged down by a sharp drop in output in the production sector. Over the three months to [...]
Infrastructure boom lifts Balfour Beatty, Kier Group and Costain March 14, 2025 London-listed construction firms Balfour Beatty, Kier Group, and Costain, have all reported robust results this week as the UK’s increasing prioritisation of major infrastructure projects starts to life the sector. Their combined order books now exceed more than £30bn and shareholders stand to benefit. All three of the companies hiked their dividends and shareholder returns alongside their [...]
Jonathan Reynolds apologises to Parliament for ‘solicitor’ claim March 13, 2025 Jonathan Reynolds has apologised to the House of Commons and corrected the record over “inadvertently” claiming to have been a solicitor during a speech in 2014. The business and trade secretary said he should have made clear that he was a trainee solicitor when speaking during a debate on high speed rail. The term “solicitor” [...]
Steel tariffs: US trade policy under Trump ‘challenging’, Reynolds admits March 13, 2025 The US tariff policy under President Donald Trump is proving “challenging” for Britain, the business and trade secretary has admitted. Jonathan Reynolds is in discussions with his US counterparts over Trump’s new 25 per cent tariff regime on steel and aluminium imports – but has not secured an exemption for the UK. It comes after [...]