Starmer seeks UK-EU ‘reset’ – is another Brexit row looming? May 16, 2025 Ongoing talks between the UK and the EU will come to a head at a summit in London on Monday, as the government seeks a post-Brexit “reset” of relations. The talks have come about as part of a routine five year review of the UK-EU trade and cooperation agreement, though they have taken on new [...]
EU defence: Why ‘buy European’ really means ‘buy French’ March 24, 2025 The EU's 'buy European' defence spending plan is protectionist and short-sighted. And it really just means 'buy French', writes Eliot Wilson.
International development minister resigns over cuts to foreign aid February 28, 2025 International development minister Anneliese Dodds has resigned over the Prime Minister’s cuts to the foreign aid budget. Dodds, a former shadow chancellor, has quit her posts in the foreign office and as women and equalities minister, in the wake of Keir Starmer’s move to reduce overseas aid to fund increased defence spending, which she revealed [...]
Ukraine: Russia ‘does not hold all the cards’, Starmer tells Kyiv conference February 24, 2025 Keir Starmer has insisted “Russia does not hold all the cards in this war” to a conference in Kyiv to mark the third anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. The Prime Minister has promised further “sweeping sanctions” to push the Russian president towards concessions in peace talks and called for a US backstop [...]
‘Free speech in retreat’- JD Vance warns Europe of ‘threat from within’ February 14, 2025 JD Vance has accused the UK and Europe of a “backslide away from conscience rights”, warning of the “threat from within” and claiming: “Free speech, I fear, is in retreat.” The US vice-president made the comments while addressing European leaders at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Friday, amid wider concern on the continent [...]
Munich summit: Ukraine on ‘irreversible path to NATO’, Starmer tells Zelenskyy February 14, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer told Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the UK remains committed to Ukraine “being on an irreversible path to NATO.” Speaking to the Ukrainian President this morning, the Prime Minister “began by reiterating the UK’s concrete support for Ukraine, for as long as it’s needed”, a Downing Street spokeswoman has said. Sir Keir was “unequivocal [...]
Crypto fraud surges after Donald Trump’s re-election February 13, 2025 Crypto platforms have been warned the industry is at a “critical juncture” after a Sumsub report showed a spike in fraud cases. The verification platform’s State of the Crypto Industry 2025 said fraud cases were up 48 per cent, with document forgery making up 31 per cent of detected cases in the last year. Following [...]
Security theatre makes life more miserable and no safer January 28, 2025 The accretion of metal detectors and half-arsed pat downs from security guards are making life more inconvenient for no obvious reward, says Emma Revell The first duty of the government is to ensure the safety of its people. Unfortunately, whether measured by the security of our borders or our ability to maintain law and order [...]
Chinese embassy: ‘Alarm bells’ over security fears for London mega-site January 16, 2025 MPs have warned of “serious alarm bells” for the UK’s security over reports senior cabinet ministers have intervened on a Chinese planning application for a huge new London embassy. Foreign secretary David Lammy, who visited China last year, and home secretary Yvette Cooper have indicated their support for the proposed new 20,000 square metre mega-site [...]
Mitie: Shard-based outsourcing giant toasts to double-digit growth October 15, 2024 Outsourcing giant Mitie has reported double-digit growth after a record number of contract deals and extensions in the first half of the year. The FTSE-250 firm said that revenue increased by 13 per cent, to £2.4bn, in the half-year ended 30 September, up from £2.1bn last year. This was driven by a 45 per cent [...]