Countries cannot be ‘dragooned’ into coalition of the willing, says McFadden March 9, 2025 Countries cannot be “dragooned” into the so-called coalition of the willing by the UK, a senior minister has suggested. Pat McFadden has said that nations have to “step forward themselves” if they want to be part of the group of nations willing to defend a peace deal in Ukraine. The UK and France have been [...]
City grandees named in the New Year Honours list 2025 December 31, 2024 Former HSBC boss Noel Quinn, Babcock chair Ruth Cairnie and the Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines are among the big names from business and industry to be included in the New Year Honours list for 2025. The trio of heavyweights were given knighthoods and a damehood for their services to industry, transport and financial [...]
The state is nothing like a start-up December 11, 2024 Pat McFadden wants the state to be more like a start-up, but the ‘move fast and break things’ mentality has no place in public services on which so many depend. There is, however, a better model… The government’s announcement of a £100m innovation fund to embrace a “test-and-learn” mindset is undeniably ambitious. Speaking at University [...]
Cabinet minister pledges to make government more ‘start up’ December 8, 2024 A cabinet minister is set to pledge that the government will become “more like a start up” ahead of the launch of a £100m fund targeting public service reform. Pat McFadden will call for Whitehall to adopt a ‘test and learn culture’, stating: “If we keep governing as usual, we are not going to achieve [...]
No ‘numerical’ migration target but UK should train own workers, minister says December 1, 2024 The UK won’t have a “numerical target” for net migration but should focus on training “our own workforce”, a cabinet minister has said. Pat McFadden has said the government wouldn’t be putting a figure on the level of net migration it wanted to see as part of the wider plan for change to be announced [...]
US elections: ‘Steep challenges’ for trade as UK exports could fall by £22bn November 8, 2024 Trade experts have warned Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs could pose “steep challenges” for the UK’s trade, with exports at risk of falling by £22bn. Ahead of his victory in the US election, Trump said he wants to increase tariffs on goods imported from around the world by 10 per cent, rising to 60 per cent [...]
Labour must get Trump relationship right to avoid tariff chaos, Stride warns November 7, 2024 Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride has said that it is essential for the Labour government to develop a good relationship with Donald Trump in a bid to avoid the damaging impact of any potential trade tariffs. The incoming US president has said he may put tariffs of 10 to 20 per cent on countries such as [...]
Senior minister ‘disappointed but not surprised’ at Duffield resignation September 29, 2024 A senior cabinet minister has said he is “disappointed” but “not surprised” at Rosie Duffield’s resignation from the Labour Party. The Canterbury MP’s decision to resign and sit as an independent had been coming “for quite a long time”, Pat McFadden told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show. Duffield announced she was resigning the [...]
UK approves Chinese-backed megabattery project after national security review September 1, 2024 The British government has approved a major battery storage facility in the UK, which is backed by a joint venture involving US investment giant Blackrock and KX Power, a UK-registered asset manager with ties to Chinese investors. The UK launched a national security review of the proposed 80-megawatt project, led by former Chinese diplomat Zhe Zhang, [...]
UK minister urges de-escalation after Israel and Hezbollah exchange fire August 25, 2024 A major war in the Middle East is “a real danger”, a cabinet minister has warned following an escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah overnight. Early on Sunday, the Israeli military launched what it described as “pre-emptive” strikes against the militant group in southern Lebanon, saying it had detected plans to attack Israel. Hezbollah, [...]