Tories brace for heavy losses as Badenoch outpolls rivals April 4, 2026 Five years ago, the Conservatives were polling at around 40 per cent, buoyed by the vaccine rollout and post-Brexit momentum, and went on to gain 235 seats in the 2021 local elections. But ahead of May’s vote, that position seems to have shifted. Political scientist Stephen Fisher has suggested the party could lose as many [...]
Jim Ratcliffe backs Tory pledge to slash net zero tax April 2, 2026 Sir Jim Ratcliffe has joined a number of manufacturing bosses in support of a Tory pledge to axe carbon taxes levied through a trading scheme critical to the government’s net zero efforts. In a joint release between the Conservatives plus the Ineos chief and other industry bosses, the Kemi Badenoch’s party said it would save [...]
The art of the great British ad April 2, 2026 UK advertising is the best in the world, blending creativity with commerce in a uniquelt British way. But the industry is under threat, says Simon Cooper If you grew up in Britain, your childhood was likely narrated by commercial breaks as much as by the programs they sat between. Whether it was the 90 seconds [...]
Starmer moots closer ties with EU amid Trump row April 1, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer has mooted building closer ties on various sectors of the economy with the European Union after President Trump suggested he was considering pulling the US out of Nato. In a press conference on Wednesday, Starmer billed strengthening ties with the EU at an upcoming summit as part of a wider push to [...]
Andy Haldane: My mission to ignite Britain’s animal spirits March 31, 2026 As the Bank of England’s chief economist, Andy Haldane had a front row seat to the maladies of UK’s sluggish economy. After a four-year stint running the RSA, he is back as president of the British Chambers of Commerce, and tells Ali Lyon business is still taxed mindlessly, over regulated, and far too risk averse. [...]
Britain is still paying a heavy price for Covid lockdowns March 31, 2026 Six years on from the first lockdown, Britain hasn’t returned to its pre-Covid path – instead becoming a high-tax, low-growth less free nation, says Alex Pugh A little over six years ago, 27m people watched UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tell them to “stay home” to tackle the spread of coronavirus. Johnson said you should [...]
It’s time for Farage to choose between a big and small state March 30, 2026 Reform UK can’t duck the tough choices any longer, says Eliot Wilson Some had hailed it as a symbol of a new era of politics: when Reform UK issued its manifesto for the 2024 general election, with its impressive strike rate of eight photographs of Nigel Farage in a slender 28 pages, it included a [...]
US ambassador: UK’s closer ties with EU are a problem March 26, 2026 Britain pursuing closer ties with the European Union will “not be viewed favourably” in the White House if it in any way affects the trading relationship between the UK and US, Washington’s ambassador to the UK has warned. Warren Stephens said that the government’s recent decision to adopt over 70 European rules onto the UK [...]
Peter Kyle hints at push for EU customs union return March 25, 2026 Business and trade secretary Peter Kyle suggested joining the EU’s customs union could improve the UK’s economic prospects, with new data suggesting that trade flows in London boomed last year. After being asked twice whether war in the Middle East provided a stronger case for the UK to join the customs union, Kyle refused to [...]
Firms scramble to keep up as the UK prepares to align with EU food standards March 25, 2026 Fans of Clarkson’s Farm will know that, for British farmers, dealing with the EU presents an endless stream of headaches and paperwork. But things are changing fast – too fast, many worry – in the UK’s complex web of food production, and farmers and manufacturers are scrambling to meet changes in legislation coming down the [...]