Average price of pint to surge above £5 due to April cost hikes, say beer bosses March 24, 2025 The average price of a pint of beer is set to surge past £5 for the first time due to cost hikes hitting the sector next month, according to industry bosses. Pub sector chiefs have warned that prices for customers will have to increase in order to help keep venues running in the face of [...]
Davey warns against scrapping tax on tech companies to ‘appease’ Trump March 23, 2025 Sir Ed Davey has warned against “appeasement” of Donald Trump amid reports Labour could change or ditch a tax on tech companies to avoid US tariffs. Chancellor Rachel Reeves did not deny the option was on the table after reports the UK is talking to the US about the digital services tax to seek a [...]
Rachel Reeves urged to prioritise public spending in UK spring statement March 23, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves is being urged to prioritise “vital” funding for public services and reject the “failed approach of austerity” as she prepares to give a key statement on the economy. Reeves will deliver her spring statement on Wednesday, updating the Commons on the Government’s plans for the economy. But amid concerns that public spending [...]
Grid operator to ‘urgently investigate’ Heathrow power outage after fire March 22, 2025 Energy secretary Ed Miliband has ordered the National Energy System Operator to “urgently investigate” the power outage caused by a substation fire that shut Heathrow Airport on Friday. He is working with Ofgem and using powers under the Energy Act to formally launch the grid operator’s investigation. “We are determined to properly understand what happened [...]
Number of migrants arriving in UK after crossing Channel passes 5,000 March 22, 2025 More than 5,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel so far this year, latest figures show. Some 341 people made the journey in six boats on Thursday, bringing the provisional total for the year so far to 5,025. This is the earliest point in the year that crossings have reached [...]
Heathrow ‘open and fully operational’ after disruption caused by power outage March 22, 2025 Heathrow Airport said it is “open and fully operational” on Saturday after the airport was shut over a loss of power caused by a substation fire. Flights resumed at the west London airport on Friday evening and restrictions on overnight flights were temporarily lifted following hours of closure, after a blaze knocked out an electricity [...]
‘Nothing off the table’ over possible troop deployment for Kyiv, No10 says March 22, 2025 Western military planning to enforce a potential ceasefire in Ukraine is set to intensify in London next week as No10 said “nothing is off the table” over possible troop deployment for Kyiv. No10 said “thousands” of personnel would be required to support any operation whether by “sea, on land or in the air” as allies [...]
Chancellor rules out ‘tax and spend’ policies ahead of spring statement March 22, 2025 The Chancellor has ruled out “tax and spend” policies ahead of her spring statement next week. Rachel Reeves is under pressure to increase taxes or cut spending to meet the financial rules she set at the budget in October amid disappointing growth figures and higher-than-expected borrowing. Figures released on Friday came as a further blow, [...]
‘Nothing is off the table’ as Badenoch set to renew policy offer March 16, 2025 The Conservatives will begin the process of formulating new policies this week as Kemi Badenoch seeks to rebuild her party after its defeat last year. A Conservative source said “nothing is off the table” in a process that starts on Tuesday and will see Badenoch task her shadow cabinet with coming up with proposals they [...]
Russian confrontation with peacekeepers ‘would be an extraordinary escalation’ March 16, 2025 Russian soldiers confronting British troops in Ukraine would be an “extraordinary escalation”, a minister has said as talks continue on a possible Western peacekeeping operation. Wes Streeting suggested on Sunday morning that the prospect of such a confrontation would be sufficient to deter Russia from breaching any ceasefire agreement reached with Ukraine. He told Sky [...]
