Starmer denies misleading public as fresh row with OBR erupts Politics Prime Minister Keir Starmer has denied accusations that Chancellor Rachel Reeves misled cabinet colleagues – and the country – over the state of public finances in the lead-up to the Budget as tax rumours hinged on the belief that there was a £30bn shortfall in the fiscal headroom. In a press conference at a nursery [...]
Britain can’t grow while we’re spending £700m to save the life of a fish Opinion With measly growth and energy among the most expensive in the developed world, Britain's got bigger fish to fry than sealife conservation.
Labour to hold fire on ‘fish disco’ nuclear power reform due to ‘legal advice’ Energy The Labour government is set to hold fire on pushing through sweeping reforms to nuclear energy due to a legal adviser’s concerns over the “UK’s environmental, trade and human rights obligations”, it has been reported. The Innovate UK member John Fingleton published a damning report on red tape blocking the expansion of the country’s nuclear [...]
Rolls-Royce: FTSE 100 giant eyes major profit boost November 13, 2025 FTSE 100 giant Rolls-Royce said it expects profit for the full-year to be 26 per cent higher than the previous financial year after a hefty boost from its civil aerospace and defence divisions. The Derby-headquartered group is eyeing an operating profit of £3.1bn to £3.2bn after upgrading its earlier guidance of £2.7bn to £2.9bn. This [...]
Rolls-Royce: Losses widen at FTSE 100 giant’s SMR division October 6, 2025 The small nuclear reactor business owned by FTSE 100 giant Rolls-Royce lost £115m in 2024, it has been revealed. Rolls-Royce SMR, which is not yet revenue generating, has posted the higher losses after also making a deficit of £78m in 2023. New accounts filed with Companies House have also shown that the division’s income from [...]
Explainer: Why are energy prices so high? October 2, 2025 Energy prices for consumers across the UK rose again this month. Ofgem, the energy regulator, set the maximum annual rate for an average household for gas and electricity at £1,755 until the end of the year. The cap is now over £600 higher than when it was first introduced in 2019. Under the cap, [...]
Nuclear plants to be built faster in UK-US energy deal September 15, 2025 Nuclear plants could come online faster in a new deal between the UK and the US aimed at boosting growth in the sector and bolstering energy security. Under plans set to be signed off during US president Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK this week, the time for a nuclear project to get a [...]
On This Day: When Britain led the atomic age August 27, 2025 On this day in 1956, Calder Hall became the first nuclear power station to supply domestic electricity, so what went wrong? Asks Eliot Wilson Sixty-nine years ago today, on 27 August 1956, the United Kingdom reached an extraordinary scientific and industrial milestone. Calder Hall Nuclear Power Station near Seascale on the coast of Cumbria was [...]
Sizewell C gets £38bn sign-off with support of Centrica and France July 22, 2025 Energy secretary Ed Miliband has signed off on a £38bn deal to build Sizewell C, with Canadian investment fund La Caisse, British Gas owner Centrica and French state companies lining up to back the nuclear power station. In a final decision signed off by Miliband, the government has agreed to be the largest equity shareholder [...]
Babcock shares soar as FTSE 100 giant hails ‘new era’ for defence June 25, 2025 Engineering giant Babcock posted a jump in profit for the latest financial year as the firm’s boss hailed a “new era for defence”. The FTSE 100 company – which plays a significant role in supporting the UK’s nuclear submarine program – recorded an 11 per cent increase in revenue to £4.8bn. Meanwhile, operating profit surged [...]