Burnham is wrong. Devolution will only grow Whitehall Opinion Despite promises to streamline, the Civil Service has only grown and grown. Burnham's devolution will make it worse, says Arthur Reynolds.
OECD sounds alarm on pension triple lock in challenge to Burnham Economics The world’s leading independent economic organisation has warned that reform of the triple lock on state pensions is “necessary to reduce fiscal risks”, in a challenge to Andy Burnham as he prepares to take over as Prime Minister. The OECD, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, described the triple lock guarantee as “unusually generous [...]
HMRC claws back £1m cutting ties with outside tech suppliers Tech HMRC has cut contractor costs by £1m a year after replacing a decades-old outsourcing model, as ministers face pressure to find £14bn of efficiency savings across Whitehall. Whitehall risks missing Labour’s £14bn efficiency savings target unless departments stop repeatedly buying the same digital expertise from outside suppliers, according to a British technology consultancy working across [...]
Inside Celonis, the German tech unicorn that won over a fifth of the FTSE 100 June 1, 2026 For a company valued at more than $13bn (£9.58bn), Celonis remains relatively unknown in Britain. Founded in Munich in 2011, the software company has become one of Europe’s most valuable private tech firms, with customers including AstraZeneca, ASOS, BMW and the UK Cabinet Office. The UK has become one of its three largest markets globally. [...]
Starmer prepares child social media curbs as pressure mounts on addictive apps May 27, 2026 The government is preparing to tighten restrictions on children’s social media use after a consultation that drew more than 81,000 responses, with ministers expected to target the design of major platforms rather than impose a blanket ban for under-16s. New measures under consideration include restrictions on autoplay videos, infinite scrolling, push notifications, overnight access and [...]
A state of the nation tale: The National Rail Museum won’t accept a model railway set May 19, 2026 From museums that won't accept model railway sets to the NHS's refusal to share data, British inefficiency is costing us billions.
Quantexa chief says £175m HMRC deal will ‘protect taxpayers’ money’ May 14, 2026 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has signed a £175m, 10-year partnership with London-based Quantexa to overhaul its data infrastructure, as the tax authority scrambles to recover billions lost to evasion and sophisticated fraud. The deal – one of the largest tech deployments in the public sector – is designed to fix the “fragmented” legacy systems [...]
NHS gives Palantir wider access to patient data amid growing backlash May 11, 2026 NHS England has expanded access to sensitive patient data for external contractors working on its controversial Palantir-backed data. The move has sparked concerns over privacy for such sensitive data, and the growing influence of American Big Techs inside the UK’s health service. According to the Financial Times, internal briefing documents show NHS officials approved new [...]
Business leaders, I beseech you, join the government and steer the ship of state April 29, 2026 Business leaders embody the antithesis of what the government machine has become, which is why it needs them, writes Ameer Kotecha.
Palantir boss rebuts Polanski’s wild NHS claims April 23, 2026 A senior Palantir Technologies executive has issued a scathing point-by-point rebuttal after a viral video by Green Party leader Zack Polanski criticised the firm’s role in the NHS and wider public sector. Louis Mosley, who leads Palantir in the UK and Europe, responded directly on X, challenging a series of claims made in the clip. [...]