Mark Kleinman: BP risks being left a Shell without new chair July 3, 2025 BP risks being left a Shell without new chair A not-so-supermajor? Speculation about a Shell tilt at BP to establish a £200bn oil and gas behemoth has been running wild since a Bloomberg News report in May that the Anglo-Dutch group was “studying” such a move. Last week, that speculation lurched into overdrive, when the [...]
Rachel Reeves at risk of becoming shortest-serving Labour Chancellor July 2, 2025 Rachel Reeves is at risk of becoming the shortest-serving Labour Chancellor in history after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer declined to give her a public show of support. The PM was facing questions at Prime Minister’s Questions today over his handling of a welfare reform package which has been stripped of key elements to limit [...]
Welfare: Starmer’s authority shattered as Reeves faces £5bn headache July 2, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer has suffered a devastating hit to his authority whilst a £5bn spending headache looms for Rachel Reeves following the government’s u-turn to avoid a catastrophic defeat of its welfare bill. Just days away from his one year anniversary in Downing Street, the PM faced the most substantial backbench rebellion of his premiership [...]
Superdrug shrugs off Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes to create over 600 jobs July 2, 2025 Superdrug has created more than 600 jobs despite tax hikes introduced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves putting “pressure” on its margins. The high street chain upped its headcount from 13,845 to 14,479 in 2024, new accounts filed with Companies House have revealed. The increase comes after Superdrug also created more than 400 jobs in 2023. The [...]
Greggs: Shares crater as sweltering June set to hit profit July 2, 2025 Greggs has said it expects to report lower annual profit than last year as scorching temperatures in June impacted sales. The company told markets this morning that total sales in the first half of the year grew 6.9 per cent to £1.3bn, although like-for-like sales grew just 2.6 per cent. Shares fell by more than [...]
We will all pay the price for Starmer’s weakness on welfare July 2, 2025 Keir Starmer is a weak Prime Minister and parliament has proved it can’t condone any reduction in public spending. This will end very badly, says Simon Clarke The collapse of Labour’s plans for welfare reform marks the end of its first year in government – and perhaps the end of any kind of serious reforming [...]
Evita, Palladium review: Rachel Zegler isn’t the problem July 2, 2025 Evita, Palladium review and star rating: ★★★ Whole PHDs could be written about the publicity campaign for Jamie Lloyd’s Evita. Hundreds of people are gathering outside the Palladium every night to watch Rachel Zegler belt ‘Don’t Cry for me Argentina’ from the theatre balcony for free, a fun PR stunt that is getting so popular [...]
Santander snaps up TSB Bank for £2.9bn July 1, 2025 Santander UK has acquired high street bank TSB in a landmark £2.9bn deal that will significantly beef up the lender’s market share. The bank’s bid for an all-cash takeover from its Spanish peer Banco Sabadell values TSB at five times its expected 2026 net income. TSB will add five million customers, £34bn in mortgages and [...]
Badenoch: Welfare ‘fudge’ driven by ‘panic not principle’ July 1, 2025 Kemi Badenoch has branded Labour’s welfare reforms a “fudge” that will fail to curb the government’s spiralling welfare bill on health and disability benefits. MPs are set to vote on work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall’s welfare bill aimed at getting more inactive Brits back into the national workforce by changing eligibility for personal independence [...]
Glastonbury 2025: the 7 best moments from Worthy Farm July 1, 2025 The best moments from Glastonbury 2025 as the world’s best festival takes a back seat for two years… Glastonbury is over for another year and boy did the Somerset festival prove it can still deliver the goods. From career defining moments from the likes of Lorde and Charlie XCX to appearances by bona fide legends [...]