Banned China tech firms lobbied for London embassy November 2, 2025 Chinese tech firms banned on national security grounds in both the UK and the United States lobbied for Beijing’s new embassy in London, growing fears it could be used as an overseas “spy centre”. State-controlled company ZTE Mobile, which was deemed by GCHQ to pose a risk to British telecommunications infrastructure that “cannot be mitigated”, [...]
Exclusive: Reeves risks Black Market Britain with gambling tax hike October 27, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves risks creating “Black Market Britain” if next month’s Budget sees significant tax raids on the gambling sector. Industry insiders have warned of the potentially catastrophic impact on bookmakers and gambling firms if levies on betting and online slot machines are hiked in line with recommendations by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The [...]
Lifetime ISA hands £1bn boost to Treasury coffers amid debate over purpose October 21, 2025 The Lifetime ISA has provided the Treasury with a significant fiscal boost each year since 2021, despite the government continuing to question whether it is ultimately fit for purpose. According to research from CBI Economics, commissioned by Moneybox, the Lifetime ISA (LISA) has delivered a net boost of £1bn to date for the government since [...]
How sport can take tackle Gen Z’s problem with gender polarisation October 21, 2025 Gender is as becoming as divisive as race, politics and economics among but sport can play its part in fixing a growing problem among Gen Z, writes Matt Readman. It’s been 25 years since Nelson Mandela famously said that sport could “unite people in a way that little else does”. While sport has sometimes mirrored social [...]
Spy case suspect was stopped with suitcase full of cash on return from China October 19, 2025 A suspect in the China spy case was carrying a “suitcase full of cash” upon being stopped by police under terrorism laws after flying into Heathrow from China. Academic Christopher Berry, was discovered with £4,000 when he was intercepted at the airport in February 2023, almost six weeks before he was formally arrested on suspicion [...]
Thousands march through London to protest digital ID plans October 18, 2025 Thousands of protesters have marched through central London to show their opposition to digital ID plans. Under strict police conditions, demonstrators chanted and waved banners along a route from Marble Arch to Whitehall on Saturday afternoon. The Prime Minister announced in September that a digital ID system would be introduced in 2029 and would be [...]
Reeves seeks to boost UK share ownership in ISA overhaul October 18, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves is looking to boost UK share ownership as part of her plans to overhaul ISAs, with potential measures including a minimum holding of British companies and a stamp duty tax break. The move is an evolution of the previously scrapped Conservative plan to create a ‘Brit ISA’ and comes as Reeves searches [...]
Conservatives will attempt to block Chagos deal over China spying fears October 18, 2025 Conservative MPs will launch a last-ditch attempt to block the Chagos Islands deal next week due to fears it will be used by China to spy on the UK. First reported in the Telegraph, the Tories plan to force a vote in Parliament over whether to effectively end the deal by holding up payments to [...]
What would a far-right leader in France mean for Europe? October 14, 2025 Despite growing economic strains and political turbulence in both countries, a potential alignment between Germany’s centre-right Chancellor Friedrich Merz and a far-right French president could temporarily steady Europe’s core — but deep fiscal and ideological divides between Paris and Berlin still threaten the long-term stability of the European Union and its single currency, says David [...]
London maintains its commanding lead as largest foreign exchange centre October 7, 2025 London has maintained its commanding lead as the world’s largest foreign exchange centre, holding nearly double the US’s share. According to the latest data from the Bank of International Settlements (BIS), daily foreign exchange trading in London reached $4,745bn this year, with its global market share of 38.7 per cent nearly twice that of the [...]