Virgin Media takes aim at ‘stitch up’ BT rescue of Talktalk Telecoms Virgin Media has hit out at BT’s rescue of Talktalk as a “stitch up”, warning the deal could further strengthen its rival’s grip on Britain’s broadband market. BT agreed on Monday to acquire debt-laden Talktalk and its wholesale arm PlatformX Communications out of administration, safeguarding services for 1.5 million retail customers and one million wholesale [...]
Lisa Nandy admits ‘problem’ with Ofcom enforcement of online safety rules Tech Lisa Nandy has admitted there is “a problem” with Ofcom’s ability to enforce online safety rules as she signalled further regulation of tech firms beyond the government’s under-16 social media ban. “Laws are only as good as the ability to enforce them”, the culture secretary said, as she called for a more active role for [...]
Rishi Sunak calls on PM Andy Burnham to restore £35m pledge for cricket domes Sport Business Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has urged current PM Andy Burnham to reinstate the £35m funding commitment to building all-weather “cricket domes” he made when he was in No10. Sunak pledged the sum in 2024 to create 22 of the facilities around the country but the Labour government scrapped the funding, labelling it “fantasy”, after [...]
London snubbed as 2029 World Athletics Championships host September 15, 2026 London has been snubbed as host of the World Athletics Championships with the track and field governing body opting for Nairobi over the capital. The move will come as a major blow to UK Athletics, the Mayor of London’s office and the government, who backed the bid to bring the major meet to these shores [...]
Government admits Burnham’s Whitehall shake-up leaves tech policy in limbo September 11, 2026 Nearly two months after Andy Burnham abolished Britain’s technology department, ministers have admitted parts of the former department still have nowhere to go. A long-awaited breakdown of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) carve-up revealed a “small number of policy areas” are yet to be allocated, while some staff are still waiting to [...]
Apple and Google defend safety records as UK clamps down on explicit teen content September 10, 2026 Apple and Google have defended their child safety records after the government said it would force tech giants to block under-18s from sending or viewing nude images on smartphones. The Silicon Valley pair told City AM they had made progress on introducing new safeguards for teenagers after three months of talks with ministers failed to [...]
Nandy absence called out as MPs urge greater use of sport as soft power September 9, 2026 The government must do more to use sport and the wider culture sector to maximise global soft power, according to an influential MP. Dame Caroline Dinenage, chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, has criticised the government for staging its Soft Power Council only four times, with the department’s Secretary of State Lisa [...]
Competition watchdog clears Paramount Warner Bros acquisition August 6, 2026 The UK competition watchdog has cleared the merger of Hollywood heavyweights Paramount and Warner Bros after concluding it does not pose an issue to competitiveness in the UK. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) confirmed it would not investigate the matter further on Wednesday, as it did not “give rise to a realistic prospect of [...]
Burnham accused of gutting tech department’s ‘biggest strength’ July 23, 2026 Andy Burnham’s decision to abolish the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) will split up the teams it was created to bring together, according to its former top civil servant. A leaked internal government document shows AI, digital and science responsibilities being divided between three departments as ministers begin dismantling DSIT less than three [...]
‘Phenomenal waste of time’: Burnham slammed over plans to dismantle tech department July 21, 2026 Andy Burnham faced immediate questions over his decision to abolish the tech department on Tuesday, as peers warned the move risked disrupting Britain’s AI strategy. Ministers were hauled before the House of Lords less than a day after the machinery of government changes to the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) were announced, where [...]