Why can’t Keir Starmer lead? July 1, 2025 Later this week, Keir Starmer will celebrate the one year anniversary of his thumping election victory. Although he constantly tells journalists that he “doesn’t do” self reflection, if he does choose to recognise this political milestone he’ll surely be unnerved to consider that it’s less a case of “look how much we’ve achieved” and more [...]
Can Kemi Badenoch woo the City? July 1, 2025 The Conservative leader sits down with City AM’s City editor, Simon Hunt. The Labour government is gearing up for an anniversary. On 5 July, the party will have completed its first full year in office since it was kicked out in 2010. Having won last summer’s general election with a thumping majority of 411, Sir [...]
Disposable income per head slumps despite economic growth June 30, 2025 The Office for National Statistics left growth figures for the UK economy at 0.7 per cent in the first three months of the year unrevised on Monday. Official data from the ONS showed quarter one’s growth was led by a 1.3 per cent increase in the production sector. Services and construction jumped 0.7 per cent [...]
Labour’s welfare U-turn spikes fears of tax hikes June 27, 2025 The Labour government has confirmed its latest U-turn with a significant retreat on welfare reform dealing a crushing blow to Rachel Reeves’ waning fiscal headroom. The bill initially targeted restrictions on personal independence payments (PIP) and limited the sickness-related element of universal credit in a bid to shed £5bn from the welfare budget by 2030. Under [...]
City minister opens door to weakening banks ombudsman June 26, 2025 City minister Emma Reynolds has suggested the government could remove powers from the banks ombudsman as part of efforts to ease regulatory burdens faces by financial services. Reynolds told an audience of bankers and investors that the end of a review on the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), which acts to settle complaints made by consumers [...]
Chess-playing Reeves is in a political zugzwang over welfare June 26, 2025 A looming rebellion on welfare reforms is casting doubt on Rachel Reeves’ ability to meet her fiscal rules, says Helen Thomas As we approach the first anniversary of the first Labour government in 14 years, we also approach its first significant rebellion. According to the analysis of our team at BlondeMoney, next week’s vote on [...]
City sends an SOS to fix London markets ‘before it’s too late’ June 26, 2025 Fears over the health of the City’s stock market have been laid bare after trading platform IG became the latest firm to sound the alarm over the “crisis unfolding” on the London bourse. The FTSE 250 firm has launched a “Save our Stock market” initiative – aptly dubbed the SOS campaign – which serves as [...]
What does Labour’s industrial strategy really mean for UK tech? June 25, 2025 After years of drift, Whitehall has finally made a plan. Labour’s long-trailed Industrial Strategy landed on Monday – a 10 year blueprint that promises to stitch a broken economic model back together with the help of strategic intervention. For the tech sector, it’s an ambitious document. But many in the industry have said it’s also [...]
Contradiction at the heart of National Security Strategy June 25, 2025 The situation in the Middle East reminds us that these are volatile times and as the war in Ukraine grinds on, an unpredictable US President heads to the Hague for a crucial Nato summit where the security of Europe is on the table. At home, the government has published its National Security Strategy which concludes [...]
Graduate jobs at ‘weakest level since 2018’ as Reeves’ taxes rattle firms June 25, 2025 Graduate jobs are now at their “weakest level since at least 2018”, fresh data has suggested, as Chancellor Reeves’ tax hikes on employers have made bosses avoid hiring junior workers. The UK government has made job creation a crucial part of its efforts to grow the economy and improve living standards for Brits after years [...]