FTSE 100 giants Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems surge following Ukraine defence summit March 3, 2025 UK and European defence shares rose to near-record highs on Monday morning lead by names such as Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems, after the defence summit in London, at which European leaders emphasised support for Ukraine and pledged to raise defence spending. The STOXX 600 rose 0.4 per cent boost, following ten consecutive weeks of gains [...]
Spring Statement 2025: Rachel Reeves should be courageous and favour economics over ideology, says Interactive Investor boss March 3, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves needs to be “quite courageous” and not “allow ideology to get in the way of economics” when she delivers her Spring Statement on 26 March, the chief executive of Interactive Investor has said. Richard Wilson, speaking on an up-coming episode of City AM‘s Boardroom Uncovered podcast, added that the government’s growth agenda [...]
Starmer to present Ukraine plan to parliament after frantic diplomatic weekend March 3, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer is set to make a statement in the Commons this afternoon to present a plan forged with President Macron over the weekend for a European “coalition of the willing” to guard a peace process in Ukraine. The prime minister will take questions from MPs from 15:30, with an opposition response from Conservative [...]
Workers rights: Don’t let ‘rogue’ firms undercut good employers, MPs urge March 3, 2025 Changes to the government’s workers’ rights package should be made to ensure “rogue firms” don’t undercut Britain’s best employers, MPs have urged. The Employment Rights Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, should have loopholes closed to avoid some companies exploiting work insecurity, the House of Commons Business and Trade Committee (BTC) has [...]
Starmer speaks of ‘driving purpose’ to unite Nato allies after White House clash March 2, 2025 Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said his “driving purpose” over the last few days has been reuniting Ukraine and the US after their presidents clashed in the White House. As Starmer gathers European leaders in London to forge a common position on ending the war in Ukraine, the Prime Minister said he is “working hard” [...]
Ministers expected to axe ‘right to switch off’ in coming week March 2, 2025 Ministers are expected to axe plans to give people a right to “switch off” outside work hours, reports have suggested. The policy was a central part of Sir Keir Starmer’s manifesto promise of a “New Deal for Working People” aimed at strengthening employment rights. It did not appear in the Employment Bill which is currently [...]
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 [...]
Trump-Starmer: UK may dodge tariffs as work to begin on new US trade deal February 27, 2025 The UK could be set to dodge US tariffs with work to begin on a new US-UK trade deal, it was revealed during Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to US President Donald Trump. The Prime Minister flew to the States yesterday for a highly anticipated first meeting with President Trump since he reentered the White House [...]
Trump-Starmer meeting: Five things to look out for February 27, 2025 Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to meet Donald Trump this evening for the first time since the US President re-entered the White House in January. Thanks to the US-UK so-called ‘special relationship’, meetings between the two nations’ leaders always have resonance. But amid the current international context, including Trump’s own comments about Russia’s [...]
Gatwick expansion raises questions over Heathrow third runway, Khan says February 27, 2025 Sir Sadiq Khan has said the government’s pathway towards approving plans for use of a second runway at Gatwick “begs the question” over the need for a third runway at Heathrow. The mayor of London made the comments following the launch of his London Growth Plan at Imperial College this morning which sets out how [...]