Unfunded Digital ID will not free up new cash for Burnham’s cost of living plans July 21, 2026 Andy Burnham is facing criticism from his own backbenches after claiming he would fund his cost of living plans by scrapping Labour’s digital ID scheme – despite the policy being unfunded at the last budget. In his first major policy announcement as prime minister, Burnham revealed today he would remove VAT from domestic electricity bills [...]
Burnham risks ‘big mistake’ on AI with tech department shake-up July 20, 2026 Andy Burnham has been warned that breaking up the government department behind Britain’s artificial intelligence strategy could unsettle global investors and damage the country’s standing as a technology hub. The incoming prime minister is reportedly considering abolishing the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and splitting its responsibilities between the Department for Business and [...]
Questions raised over FCA’s new short-selling rules July 18, 2026 Apparent errors in the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)’s first batch of new short-selling data have raised questions over the accuracy of information used by traders and regulators to track bets against UK-listed companies. The Financial Times first reported that the regulator’s new disclosures contained a series of apparent errors, including positions that were changed or [...]
Big Tech faces earnings test after AI spending spree July 18, 2026 Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon will report earnings over the next two weeks as investors look for evidence that years of record spending on AI are beginning to generate stronger revenue growth. The three companies have led the AI investment boom, committing billions of dollars to data centres, chips and software. Their latest results are expected [...]
‘Pro-business’ Burnham eyes Reynolds return to top business job July 18, 2026 Andy Burnham is planning to bring Jonathan Reynolds back as business secretary as the incoming prime minister moves to deliver on his pledge to lead a “pro-business” government. Reynolds, who served as business secretary until last September before becoming chief whip, is expected to return to the department when Burnham unveils his cabinet this week, [...]
Thames Water creditors expect Burnham talks despite legal contigency plans July 18, 2026 The creditors bidding to rescue Thames Water remain confident they will be able to present a revised takeover proposal to Andy Burnham’s government, despite preparing for the possibility ministers reject the deal, a source told City AM. People close to the London & Valley Water (L&VW) consortium said they expected to engage with the new [...]
Octopus tells Burnham to ‘cut bills’ with £189 energy plan July 18, 2026 Octopus Energy has urged incoming prime minister Andy Burnham to overhaul Britain’s electricity market, saying the changes could cut the average household bill by up to £189 a year. The supplier said reforming wholesale electricity pricing would save households around £114 a year, and also called for energy levies to be moved from electricity bills [...]
Tiktok ‘confident’ ahead of Ofcom child safety probe July 16, 2026 Tiktok has insisted it is “confident” it complies with the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA) after Ofcom launched an investigation into whether the platform is doing enough to stop children accessing harmful content. The watchdog is looking into whether Tiktok’s age verifictions meet the legal requirement to be “highly effective” at identifying child users after [...]
AI minister: UK sets sights on global AI leadership, not Silicon Valley emulation July 15, 2026 AI minister Kanishka Narayan said the UK must build enough domestic AI capability to “shape our own destiny” rather than rely on overseas tech giants as the government accelerates its push to develop sovereign AI infrastructure. Narayan told City AM that AI had become “the defining currency” of geopolitical and economic power, arguing that the [...]
Energy minister says AI must ‘bring down bills’ as data centres squeeze the grid July 15, 2026 Power-hungry data centres must help bring down bills rather than place further strain on Britain’s squeezed electricity network, the energy minister has said. Michael Shanks warned public support could drop for the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure unless households saw a clear economic benefit. “We need to deliver energy security here at home, but we [...]
