‘It beggars belief’: Starmer insists he was not told about Mandelson’s vetting fail Politics Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he was not told that Lord Peter Mandelson failed a security vetting before telling MPs that “due process” around his appointment as US ambassador was followed. Starmer told MPs on Monday that he asked Whitehall officials to review whether due process was followed last September on whether the security vetting [...]
Pension schemes need more carrot and less stick to back the UK Opinion The Pensions Bills Scheme will empower the government to tell pension schemes where to invest. But telling always ends badly.
Top civil servant calls on lawyers advice over Mandelson vetting dismissal Legal Sir Olly Robbins, who is set to answer MPs’ questions over Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment, is reportedly taking legal advice after he was ousted over the vetting scandal. Last week, Robbins, the Foreign Office permanent under-secretary, was dismissed after it emerged that the disgraced Mandelson had been denied clearance in a security vetting process. Mandelson [...]
ETFS are no longer a side experiment after record 2025 growth April 20, 2026 Global ETFs are no longer functioning as solely investment products, after record growth last year cemented its position as a “backbone” of portfolios and the use of active strategies gained popularity. The global exchange traded funds (ETF) market jumped 32.8 per cent last year from $14.8 trillion to $19.8 trillion according to the latest findings [...]
Let’s be honest, not all small businesses are meant to survive April 20, 2026 The fact that not every small business survives is far from a bad thing; in fact it's the sign of a healthy economy, writes Alexandra Rosen.
Revolut’s blockbuster IPO is two years out, says Nik Storonsky April 20, 2026 The boss of Revolut has ruled out a public listing for the next two years in a move that extends the Treasury’s timeline to shore up one of Europe’s most-desired IPO prospects. Nik Storonsky, the straight-talking founder of Revolut, said a public debut was “two years away”. “We’re a bank, and for a bank, it’s [...]
Airfares, petrol pumps, rent: Inflation to jump due to Iran war April 20, 2026 Inflation is expected to jump to 3.3 per cent as the first effects of the war in Iran will be recorded in a new set of data. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is expected to reveal that inflation inched up in the year to March due to soaring fuel prices and tremors across financial [...]
Britain’s Potemkin economy April 20, 2026 The compliance industrial complex means vast swathes of the economy – from HR to ESG to EDI – are entirely dependent on the state, says Elliot Keck If the UK was an American state we would be the poorest, according to new research from the Institute of Economic Affairs. How did we get here? Surely [...]
Unemployment to peak at 5.8 per cent as jobs market faces ‘biggest hit’ since pandemic April 20, 2026 Britain is set to be “pushed to the brink of a technical recession” in the coming year as the economic fallout of the war in Iran dampens growth prospects and sends unemployment soaring. The latest Item Club report sees the UK economy flatlining in the second and third quarters as it digests the consequences of [...]
Rachel Reeves to meet Lloyds and Natwest chiefs over Iran war April 20, 2026 Rachel Reeves has called in the bosses of Britain’s top banks for a summit this week to discuss the economic impact of the war in Iran. The Chancellor has invited executives from Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, Natwest, Santander UK as well as the UK’s biggest building society Nationwide for a meeting this Wednesday. The meeting – as [...]