Close Brothers: How the motor finance scandal reshaped one of ‘Europe’s least cost-efficient lenders’
FTSE 100 closes above 10,000 after Trump triggers defence rally Markets British defence and mining stocks set the FTSE 100 flying high on Monday after the fallout from the United States’ capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro heightened investor appetite. The surging stock prices helped the blue-chip index cement its first close over the 10,000 mark, ending the session at 10,004.57 after a 0.5 per cent [...]
Starmer threatens Abramovich with court over £2.5bn Chelsea proceeds Sport Business Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to take Roman Abramovich to court unless he hands over the £2.5bn proceeds from his sale of Chelsea FC to humanitarian causes in Ukraine. The huge windfall has been frozen in a UK bank account since May 2022, when the sanctioned Russian oligarch sold Chelsea to a US consortium [...]
This is why Starmer’s recent reshuffle is doomed to fail Opinion Keir Starmer’s personnel switch-up is an attempt to get a firmer grip on his government’s economic policymaking. Helen Thomas lays out why it won’t work. Keir Starmer’s latest cabinet reshuffle was billed as a decisive break from his choppy first year in power. Yet this is less a bold national reset than a desperate rebrand. [...]
Home Office wins appeal to keep asylum seekers in Epping hotel August 29, 2025 Asylum seekers will be allowed to stay at a hotel in Epping, after the Court of Appeal overturned a previous ruling from the High Court. The decision from the second highest court in the UK means that the 138 men currently housed at The Bell Hotel in the Essex town can stay put. Earlier in [...]
Facial recognition vans rolled out across England in crime crackdown August 13, 2025 An additional seven police forces in England will be using ten new live facial recognition (LFR) vans to track suspects wanted for serious crimes, including sexual offences, violent assaults, and homicides. The rollout, announced by the Home Office, will see Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Bedfordshire, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley and Hampshire police share the vehicles. [...]
Notting Hill Carnival: The Met is writing its own rules for live facial recognition August 13, 2025 With the Met primed to use live facial recognition tech at the upcoming Notting Hill Carnival, primary legislation is needed urgently.
Small boats deal shows Labour’s technocrats have no clue what they’re doing August 11, 2025 Labour positioned itself as a party of technocrats, but the small boats deal shows they have no clue what they're doing, writes Eliot Wilson.
Home Office to crack down on promoting small boat crossings online August 3, 2025 Anyone who advertises small boat Channel crossings or fake passports on social media could face up to five years in prison under new plans. Ministers are seeking to create a new offence under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill already going through Parliament, to widen its scope to tackle illegal entry to the UK. [...]
Orgreave inquiry is a politically motivated waste of public money July 28, 2025 The inquiry into a clash between police and striking miners at Orgreave over 40 years ago has more to do with a left-wing grievance narrative than getting to the truth, says Eliot Wilson Last week the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, announced a public inquiry into “the events at the Orgreave Coking Plant on 18 June [...]
Palestine Action: Invesco office attacked in latest red paint vandalism June 23, 2025 Global investment firm Invesco has been hit in the latest string of “red paint” attacks on financial services companies. The Atlanta-headquartered firm had its Westminster office vandalised on Monday as red paint and graffiti was left plastered across the side of the walls of the Portman Square building. The vandalism, which was committed by activists [...]