Andy Burnham can’t treat Heathrow expansion as a local planning issue September 29, 2026 Has Andy Burnham’s commitment to devolution morphed into a convenient excuse not to lead? I ask, because he seems to have excused himself from the debate about a critical £50bn national infrastructure project: Heathrow’s third runway. The project has been debated since the 1980s but officially kicked off in 2003 when Labour’s Alistair Darling, then [...]
Labour will learn to love deregulation September 29, 2026 The Labour government I served in made advances in planning reform and curbing regulator overreach. But those efforts should be seen as a first step, not job done. Not least because there is barely a great progressive cause that does not now require deregulation to advance, says Alan Lockey Warm words for business are a [...]
Burnham to pledge greater control of water and energy industries September 28, 2026 Andy Burnham will double down on plans to seize greater public control of the water, energy and transport industries tomorrow as he pledges to “break with the flawed thinking of the past 40 years”. In his first speech to Labour’s conference as Prime Minister, Burnham is expected to say Britain is currently “run for vested [...]
Healey: We don’t have as much money as we did under New Labour September 28, 2026 Chancellor John Healey has warned Labour members that the government does not have available funds to spend more on public services. In his address to party activists, Healey said Tony Blair’s government in the late 1990s and early 2000s had more flexibility with public finances given higher growth rates and lower amounts of debt. The [...]
‘Uncharted territory’: UK economy facing shocks as diesel and borrowing costs surge September 28, 2026 The UK economy entered “uncharted territory” on Monday battling an assortment of financial pressures as fears intensified ahead of the next Budget. Diesel costs surged to a record high of 199.18p per litre marking the latest energy shock on the UK economy. Stations were registered as charging 199.18p per litre, according to the RAC. The [...]
British bosses face compliance headache over delayed EU pay transparency rules September 28, 2026 British businesses are still troubled by complex European Union pay transparency laws after a delayed, fragmented rollout across the bloc. The EU pay transparency directive requires member states to mandate that companies disclose starting salaries and pay ranges in job listings, and some businesses must report gender pay gaps. The rules aim to ensure equal [...]
‘Resilience or reliance’ – Tech chiefs urge Burnham to spend £20bn on ‘sovereign AI’ September 28, 2026 British tech bosses have called on the government to commit more than £20bn to sovereign AI infrastructure, warning the UK risks becoming dependent on foreign technology in one of the most important industries of the coming decades. Senior figures from BT, Telefónica Tech, Leonardo, HPE, Kainos and Sopra Steria are among the signatories to an [...]
Miliband: ‘We cannot leave it to corporations’ as UK takes on Big Tech over AI September 28, 2026 Ed Miliband has vowed Britain will use its G20 presidency next year to push for global rules on AI, warning governments “cannot leave it to corporations” to police the technology. The foreign secretary said the economic potential of AI was “inspiring” but warnings from the companies developing the technology meant governments needed to act. “The [...]
Wealth advisers battle client fears as Budget tax speculation grows September 28, 2026 Wealth advisers are being hit with an influx of questions over tax changes as speculation over what may be announced in next month’s Autumn Budget continues to grow. Wealth and asset managers across the City are reporting a surge in conversations with affluent clients who are becoming worried about potential tax changes which could affect [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 rises but energy shock looms; Healey says government debt an ‘affront to Labour values’ September 28, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM FTSE 100 liveblog. Stick with us throughout the day for the latest London Stock Exchange and wider business and economic news, as soon as we get it. The main event of the day will be Chancellor John Healey’s speech at Labour conference in Liverpool. Here’s a look at some [...]