Jonathan Powell urged to answer questions on Chinese spy case in public October 13, 2025 National security adviser Jonathan Powell has been urged to answer questions on the collapse of a Chinese spy case in public, with the government doubling down on its defence that it did not subvert the trial to maintain diplomatic ties with Beijing. Powell is set to appear before a private committee in parliament to answer [...]
Margate House: A super-stylish long weekend away October 13, 2025 Margate is a place of contradictions, gentrified yet still infused with an unmistakable sense of character. Wandering its blustery streets reveals a town that’s at once affluent and deprived, sometimes on the same street. It’s now more famous for its robust arts scene than it is for penny arcades and fish and chips, with a [...]
Why The Inbetweeners comeback is perfectly timed for Millennials October 13, 2025 Expect more dad dancing, car stomping and general cringe-inducing telly: The Inbetweeners comeback means the foursome is returning after more than ten years away. And yes, it looks like the original cast is returning too. This is great news, and I’d argue that there couldn’t be a better time to unite the four unlikely friends. [...]
Don’t raise a glass to Starmer’s plan for pubs October 13, 2025 Keir Starmer claims he has a plan to save the struggling hospitality sector, but the detail is thin and all his other actions – like banning vapes and junkfood advertising – suggest his every impulse is to control people’s behaviour, says Eliot Wilson “Pubs and bars are the beating heart of our communities. Under our [...]
China’s London mega-embassy plan in limbo amid site security fears October 12, 2025 China’s plans for a new mega-embassy in central London have been thrown into doubt amid mounting national security concerns that the proposed site sits directly above critical fibre-optic cables linked to the UK’s financial networks. The £750m project at Royal Mint Court, the former home of Britain’s coin-maker, located next to the Tower of London, [...]
Recession fears spike after Trump threatens new China tariffs October 11, 2025 President Donald Trump has said he will slap an additional 100 per cent tax on Chinese imports by 1 November or sooner spiking recession fears after global markets tumbled. Taking to his Truth Social platform, Trump cited the export controls placed on rare earths by China as the reason for the fresh levy. The President [...]
Footfall drops in sign of pre-Budget nerves October 10, 2025 Footfall at UK retailers dropped in September, in a sign consumers are tightening their belts in the face of sticky shop inflation and a looming Budget where taxes are set to be raised by billions of pounds. Total UK footfall fell by 1.8 per cent year-on-year, according to British Retail Consortium data, extending a run [...]
China spying scandal: What the hell is going on? October 9, 2025 The head of MI5 warns that Chinese spying in the UK is taking place on “an epic scale” – yet the government can’t bring itself to describe China as a threat. What the hell is going on? Sir Ken McCallum, the Director General of MI5, doesn’t make many speeches in public. As one of Britain’s [...]
Labour ministers ordered to stop relying on emergency funds October 9, 2025 Labour ministers have been told they will be blocked from using the government’s reserve funds to pay public sector staff and will only be given cash in exceptional circumstances. James Murray, the chief secretary to the Treasury, has told colleagues across the Cabinet that access to rainy day funds will be limited as the government [...]
The Capitalist: Tories disco through decline, trouble at Harper Collins and Mishcon’s ‘party from hell’ October 9, 2025 Tory Conference, chaos at Harper Collins and Mishcon de Reya's "party from hell"; catch up on the latest gossip in this week's The Capitalist.