Bailey demands crackdown on ‘downright criminal’ social media fraud Tech Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has called on social media giants to take greater responsibility for online fraud, warning that the spread of scams and AI-generated content risks undermining trust in the financial system. Speaking at the International Monetary Fund’s annual meetings in Bangkok on Wednesday, Bailey criticised tech platforms for facing little accountability [...]
Triple lock reform and scrapping IHT: Voters give thumbs up to Labour and Tory policies Politics Andy Burnham’s pledge to reform the state pension triple lock and Kemi Badenoch’s plan to scrap inheritance taxes on family homes have both received a stamp of approval from voters, new polling has shown. The latest City AM/Freshwater Strategy poll of UK voters showed that the British public back the major policies announced by the [...]
The search for Nigel Farage’s elusive wristwatch Life&Style We investigate the mystery of Nigel Farage’s wristwatch. Could the so-called man of the people really wear a £40,000 Patek Philippe Calatrava? Andy Blackmore starts digging and finds a surprising answer… Sometimes the watch we wear tells more about us than we would care to admit, far more than any session with a psychologist. With that [...]
With Brexit on the ballot the next election will be box office October 1, 2026 Whatever else Andy Burnham’s conference speech achieves, it has certainly opened up some major dividing lines in British politics – and some old wounds. The next election, when it comes, could well have Brexit on the ballot after the PM said he’s open to looking at everything from joining the customs union or entering the [...]
Rayner warns Reform’s £72m crypto windfall could be caught by new donor rules September 13, 2026 Angela Rayner has warned Reform UK that its record £72m fundraising haul from two cryptocurrency billionaires could be caught by retrospective rules being pushed through parliament. The housing secretary said new restrictions on political donations from Britons living abroad, or those who have recently returned to the UK, would be backdated as ministers seek to [...]
Nigel Farage has never been far from danger his entire career September 10, 2026 Cast your eye over Nigel Farage’s CV and you realise he is a man who never seems far from danger. At the start of his career in 1982 he joined the notorious US investment bank Drexel as a commodities trader. Drexel would collapse eight years later after its senior executive, Michael Milken, was sent to [...]
Met Police investigates Reform UK over potential breach of electoral law September 9, 2026 The Metropolitan Police has launched a formal criminal investigation into Reform UK over potentially illegal foreign donations after top party officials were filmed facilitating the acceptance of payments via a middle man. Detectives will look into the party’s funding following the undercover sting operation by Channel 4 News. The police were called to act by [...]
Reform’s funding scandal is scaring away the very voters it should be appealing to September 9, 2026 A row over unlawful donations to Reform UK is getting extraordinary cut-through with voters, and it’s former Conservatives, the very people Farage is best placed to win over, who are most sceptical, says Matthew Lesh Reform’s jamboree in Birmingham last week had a weird feel. Thousands of party faithful trampled across the hundreds of square [...]
Donations row ‘reflects problem in Reform UK’, voters say September 9, 2026 The donations row that engulfed Reform UK last week “reflects a real problem” with the party, the majority of voters believe. Nearly two-thirds of people believe the allegations surrounding top Reform figures show there is a problem with the way the party is run and deals with its finances, City AM/Freshwater Strategy polling has revealed. [...]
Labour takes narrow lead over Reform as donation row wounds Farage September 8, 2026 Labour has taken a narrow polling lead over Reform UK for the first time in a year and a half as voters warmed to Andy Burnham in September. The latest City AM/Freshwater Strategy poll has shown that Labour now enjoys 26 per cent of the voter share, ahead of Reform UK, which is on 25 [...]