Civil servant defends Starmer over ‘due process’ on Mandelson April 23, 2026 A top Whitehall operator has appeared to defend Sir Keir Starmer’s insistence that due process was followed by the government in the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador. Cat Little, the Cabinet Office’s chief operating officer, said that bureaucratic procedures around security and vetting were adhered to by the Prime Minister’s team at [...]
WH Smith profit grounded as flight cancellations take hold April 23, 2026 WH Smith shares tumbled after the retailer adopted a more “cautious outlook” as the Iran war sparks a slowdown in international tourism. The retailer’s share price fell by more than 15 per cent on Thursday’s open, to 532p, leaving the stock down more than 16 per cent in the year so far. The stationer suffered [...]
London local elections 2026: Who will win? April 23, 2026 Political turmoil in Westminster and voter anxiety across a range of issues could see the political map of London redrawn after the upcoming local elections. Felix Armstrong, Mauricio Alencar, Matt Kenyon, Samuel Norman, Saskia Koopman and Simon Hunt preview how residents in each of the capital’s 32 boroughs could vote on May 7. The Greens [...]
Strikes have no place in a competitive market economy April 23, 2026 There is no reason why Tube drivers on objectively high incomes with working conditions many would kill for are able to force their employers to ask of them even fewer hours and even more pay – and the employers are forbidden by the state from simply hiring other people, says Tom Harwood I’m just going [...]
Robert Dyas losses double as Dragons Den star eyes turnaround April 23, 2026 Robert Dyas saw its loss double last year as Dragons Den star Theo Paphitis attempts to reverse the fortunes of the struggling hardware retailer. The company’s pre-tax loss widened to £4.7m last year, more than double its previous £2.3m setback, according to previously unreported Companies House filings. Former Dragons Den magnate Theo Paphitis announced last [...]
How to experience Harry Styles’ Rome, from cool neighbourhoods to flea markets April 23, 2026 Why has Harry Styles fallen so deeply for the Italian capital? Amélie Outters checks out his favourite spots Near Campo de’ Fiori, inside a small Roman café, the queue moves slowly. The staff gruffly mumble orders in rapid Italian while customers lean over the glass counter, pointing at pizza sold by the centimetre and paid [...]
How bakers became the rock stars of London’s post-booze era April 22, 2026 Bakers have developed the clout of mixologists, finds Adam Bloodworth Anna Higham finds it extremely stressful when a queue forms outside her Quince bakery in Islington. She feels that, by definition, a line means she can’t give her best service, but she acknowledges that for many of the capital’s bakery touring elite, the absence of [...]
Peer pressure: Starmer admits former aide was considered for diplomatic role April 22, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer has admitted that he considered appointing Lord Matthew Doyle for an ambassadorial role without the foreign secretary knowing, amid growing questions over the Prime Minister’s judgment in key decisions. The Prime Minister appeared to accept that Doyle, who recently had the Labour whip removed following revelations about his relationship with a sex [...]
Starmer won’t recover from the toxic Mandelson scandal April 22, 2026 Think back to the election campaign of 2024 and you’ll recall that Sir Keir Starmer’s pitch for power wasn’t based on very much. His offer to the electorate was built almost entirely on the well-worn ‘time for change’ argument that opposition politicians across the world cling to when the incumbent has clearly run out of [...]
Can Primark go it alone after ABF split? April 22, 2026 FTSE 100 giant Associated British Foods ended months of rumour when it announced its demerger from Primark. Felix Armstrong explores how the budget clothes retailer will fare on its own. Walk into Oxford Street’s Primark, battle through the tightly packed rows of cut-price clothing, and your eyes will seize on the bright blue lights of [...]