Britain’s first sovereign AI model secures blue-chip backing as Starmer unveils £400m plan June 8, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer’s push to build sovereign British AI capability has won backing from some of the country’s biggest companies, with BT, HSBC, Lloyds, Natwest and BAE Systems joining plans to develop Britain’s first sovereign frontier AI model. British AI startup Cosine unveiled a coalition of major banks, defence contractors and infrastructure firms who had [...]
Labour warned not to kill off hybrid jobs millions rely on June 7, 2026 Labour has been warned not to “regulate flexible jobs out of existence” after new polling found two-thirds of part-time workers chose their role specifically because it offered flexibility around childcare or studying. The intervention from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) comes as ministers press ahead with plans to overhaul zero-hours contracts and force employers to [...]
Peter Kyle vows state will take bigger stakes in Britain’s next tech giants June 6, 2026 The government is preparing to take larger stakes in Britain’s fastest-growing companies as Peter Kyle ramps up Labour’s efforts to turn the state into a more active backer of private enterprise. Ahead of London Tech Week, the business secretary said ministers would become more willing to deploy taxpayer money alongside private investors, arguing that government [...]
Starmer urged to press ahead with under-16 social media ban as decision nears June 6, 2026 Keir Starmer has been urged to press ahead with a social media ban for under-16s after a group of leading doctors warned ministers not to mistake early attempts by children to bypass restrictions as evidence that such policies do not work. The intervention comes as the government prepares to decide whether Britain will introduce some [...]
Starmer weighs cut to EU student fees in bid for Brexit reset June 6, 2026 Keir Starmer is considering cutting university fees for European students as part of a broader package designed to deepen Britain’s economic ties with the EU, in what could become one of the most politically sensitive concessions of his post-Brexit reset. Ministers are weighing whether to lower tuition costs for EU students attending British universities as [...]
Burnham vows to cut the price of a pint as he turns on Labour tax rises June 6, 2026 Andy Burnham has launched a major policy intervention of the Makerfield by-election campaign with a pledge to cut business rates for pubs and ease the tax burden on small businesses, marking a clear break with Keir Starmer’s government. The Greater Manchester mayor said Labour had “got it wrong” on small businesses as he unveiled plans [...]
Andy Burnham ducks ‘fiscal rules exam’ despite pledge to stick to them June 6, 2026 Andy Burnham refused to explain Labour’s fiscal rules on Friday, despite insisting he would stick to them if he entered Downing Street, raising questions over the economic strategy underpinning his growing leadership bid. The Greater Manchester Mayor, who has spent months positioning himself as Labour’s most prominent alternative voice, was challenged to explain the government’s [...]
Ash Sarkar says she will ‘never work with SXSW again’ after Hasan Piker visa row June 4, 2026 Ash Sarkar has said she will never work with SXSW again after withdrawing from the festival over its handling of the Hasan Piker visa row, accusing organisers of failing to defend invited speakers barred from entering the UK. The Novara Media commentator pulled out of SXSW London after organisers responded to the Home Office’s decision [...]
Martin Sorrell calls WPP ‘catatonic’ as Goldman slaps sell rating on its own client June 4, 2026 Sir Martin Sorrell spent 33 years turning WPP from a small Kent-based wire and plastics manufacturer into the world’s largest ad company. He left in 2018 following a dispute over personal conduct that he has consistently denied, and has been a vocal critic of his successors ever since. “I think they are further gone than [...]
S4 Capital cuts jobs as Sorrell predicts ‘fewer people’ in advertising June 4, 2026 S4 Capital has cut a further 150 jobs this year, amid warnings from Sir Martin Sorrell that AI will leave the advertising industry employing “fewer people” in the years ahead. The London-listed marketing group said its workforce has fallen to around 6,200, down from roughly 7,000 a year ago, as clients continue to rein in [...]
