US VC pulls out of Oxford Union event over incoming president’s comments Politics A top US venture capitalist has pulled out of an event at the debating society Oxford Union after its president-elect appeared to have cheered the death of Charlie Kirk, a rightwing US free speech activist. Josh Wolfe, co-founder of VC firm Lux Capital, said he had withdrawn from the event after the Oxford Union’s next [...]
Keir Starmer agrees migrant returns deal with France Politics Keir Starmer has agreed a “pilot” deal to return illegal migrants to France in an exchange for individuals to arrive as asylum seekers as part of a drive to curb small boat crossings. In a speech delivered alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, Starmer said the new plan would come into effect in the coming weeks. [...]
Sir Robert Chote to leave UK Statistics Authority Economics Sir Robert Chote has resigned as chairman of the UK Statistics Authority, which oversees official data published by a range of bodies including the Office for National Statistics. The UK Statistics Authority, an arms-length government body, has been involved in scrutinising the ONS’s troubles. Chote, who joined the UK Statistics Authority in 2022, will become [...]
Keir Starmer urged to slash number of graduate visas July 2, 2025 Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been urged to scrap the graduate visa for thousands of international students as universities have provided “backdoor access” for longer-term settlement, according to a leading think tank. The government unveiled its immigration white paper aimed at getting net migration levels down, with the period during which graduates are able to [...]
Exclusive: Government admits fossil fuels use is cheaper than net zero technology June 19, 2025 The UK government has quietly admitted that using low-carbon technologies essential to the rapid drive to net zero are more expensive than when fossil fuels are used an energy source, City AM can reveal. Labour ministers are expected to double down on expanding the use of green technologies to lower costs as the Treasury and [...]
Net zero no longer a priority for SMEs April 8, 2025 The majority of small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) have sidelined net zero practices, according to a survey of around 500 business owners, in signs that net zero policies are increasingly falling out of fashion. President Donald Trump’s abandonment of Biden-era green policies has driven a global trend that is seeing firms and governments move away [...]
Boat Race: Crews sign Khan river pledge after ‘poo in the water’ marred 2024 event March 27, 2025 The crews participating in this year’s Boat Race have signed Sadiq Khan’s London Rivers’ Pledge after poo in the Thames marred last year’s rowing regatta. A number of crew got ill during the preparations for the 2024 Boat Race, held in West London, due to a mix of E. coli, sewage and poo. An Oxford [...]
Boat Race: Oxford and Cambridge spat leads to bans for three rowers March 19, 2025 A row between Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Clubs over Boat Race rules surrounding selection has seen three rowers banned. Matt Heywood – a former under-23 world champion – Molly Foxell and Kate Cowley will not be able to compete for Cambridge because they do not have “degree level” qualifications. The trio are PGCE – [...]
Long-time IFS director Paul Johnson to step down October 17, 2024 Johnson, who became Director of the IFS in January 2011, will take up the role of Provost of Queen's College, Oxford.