Starmer must face down the self-righteous clowns on his back benches July 23, 2025 Keir Starmer’s attempt to select compliant MPs has backfired, producing a rebellious and ill-informed parliamentary party that has already successfully vetoed its own government’s economic policy, says Paul Ormerod A fundamental feature of the social and economic world is that intentions are not the same as outcomes. Morgan McSweeney and his colleagues exercised very close [...]
Rachel Reeves: It’s not progressive to pay off US hedge funds for debt July 22, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said there is “nothing progressive” about paying off US hedge funds which hold government bonds, hours after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed debt interest payments in June were double levels seen at the same time last year. In a hearing at the Economic Affairs Committee, Rachel Reeves said she [...]
Exclusive: Ministry of Defence fends off fake invoices in battle against fraudsters July 22, 2025 The Ministry of Defence has dismissed more than a thousand invoices in each of the last three years in a warning sign that fraudsters are targeting government services. A Freedom of Information request has unveiled the extent of invoices given the red flag by the government and their total value. These can include claims for [...]
Deregulation drive risks repeat of financial crisis, Bank of England governor says July 22, 2025 The governor of the Bank of England has distanced himself from Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ deregulation agenda, suggesting the move could cause a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis. Andrew Bailey told MPs on the Treasury Committee that the UK “cannot compromise” on financial stability after the government laid out plans to remove regulatory red tape [...]
UK Government response to alleged Russian elections interference upheld by ECHR July 22, 2025 The UK Government's response to alleged Russian interference in UK elections, including the 2019 general election, did not violate the right to free elections, rules top European court
Brits back tax incentive plan to stop wealthy investors fleeing UK July 22, 2025 Two thirds of Britons support offering rich investors tax incentives to stop them leaving the UK, according to a new report, as the government has been urged to design a special scheme to boost UK growth. In a new paper by Onward and the Adam Smith Institute, around 67 per cent of the British public [...]
Angela Rayner pushes for new tourist tax to fix black hole July 22, 2025 Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner is pushing Chancellor Rachel Reeves to give more power to councils to tax tourists amid worries that local governments are struggling to keep finances in check. Rayner has suggested that councils should be able to tax tourist hotel stays and take advantage of a rise in visitors, rather than taxing [...]
The ‘Tell Sid’ campaign should learn from the gambling industry July 22, 2025 There are two common explanations for why Brits invest so much less in stocks than our US counterparts. The first is we have a risk-averse culture, so cash is king. The second is we are a poor nation, and many lack the money. But here’s a counterpoint: gambling. By some measures, the UK has the [...]
Sizewell C gets £38bn sign-off with support of Centrica and France July 22, 2025 Energy secretary Ed Miliband has signed off on a £38bn deal to build Sizewell C, with Canadian investment fund La Caisse, British Gas owner Centrica and French state companies lining up to back the nuclear power station. In a final decision signed off by Miliband, the government has agreed to be the largest equity shareholder [...]
Astrazeneca plots huge $50bn US investment after ditching UK expansion plans July 22, 2025 Astrazeneca has unveiled plans to invest as much as $50bn in manufacturing and R&D in the US after ditching its UK expansion plans in a blow to the government’s industrial strategy. The Cambridge-based pharma giant said it will spend the huge sum over the next five years, including on a new manufacturing facility in Virginia, [...]