Olympic swimmers to take on length of Thames in sewage protest August 29, 2025 Olympic-level swimmers are set to navigate the length of the Thames next week in a bid to highlight calls for better protection from pollution of the UK’s waterways, lakes and seas. Eight elite swimmers are taking part in the non-stop relay, which will begin at the source of the Thames in Gloucestershire on Monday and [...]
Government under fire as data breach review finally goes public August 29, 2025 The government has released a long-delayed review of its own data handling practices, following pressure from MPs, which raises questions about the ability of Whitehall to safeguard sensitive information. This review comes at a time when digital transformation is intended to reshape public services. The Information Security Review, carried out in 2023 but withheld from [...]
Premier League spending hurtles towards £3bn mark August 29, 2025 Alexander Isak’s on-off transfer from Newcastle United to Liverpool will not be of interest only to fans and bean-counters on Tyneside and Merseyside. The protracted deal is also one for the transfer data crunchers and historians of English football’s top flight, given that it could represent the passing of multiple financial milestones. Isak’s transfer fee [...]
The climate activist case for continued drilling for fossil fuels August 29, 2025 A pragmatic energy transition requires maintaining domestic oil and gas production as a strategic bridge to a renewable future, in order to prevent higher emissions from foreign imports while securing national energy sovereignty, says Callum Adamson “Drill, baby, drill” is not something you’d expect a ‘climate activist’ to say. You probably wouldn’t hear it from [...]
House sales rise in summer, but will property tax rumours kill confidence? August 29, 2025 The UK housing market has proved remarkably resilient this year despite significant pressures, with sales on track to match 2022 highs. The number of UK residential transactions in July was 95,580, four per cent higher than July 2024 and one per cent higher than June 2025, according to the latest data from HMRC. The market [...]
Assets at Evelyn Partners hit a record high amid tax raid speculation August 29, 2025 Evelyn Partners has maintained its run of strong inflows, as speculation about pension changes drives customers to seek wealth management advice. The wealth management firm generated £3.7bn of gross inflows in the first half of the year, a seven per cent jump from the £3.5bn recorded in 2024. Assets under management (AUM) reached a record [...]
Natwest and Lloyds shares lead £8bn plunge amid bank tax fears August 29, 2025 Shares in a number of Britain’s biggest banking giants tumbled on Friday as speculation that Rachel Reeves would use the sector for an easy cash grab ramped up. Natwest topped the FTSE 100’s fallers, losing over five per cent. Meanwhile, Lloyds was down nearly four per cent, Barclays just over two per cent, whilst HSBC [...]
Rachel Reeves’ winter fuel raid to raise £1.3bn less than hoped August 29, 2025 Rachel Reeves’ fiscal agenda has been dealt another chilling blow with new data revealing savings from the winter fuel allowance will be lower than hoped after Labour’s row back. The Chancellor’s winter fuel raid will raise £1.3bn less than originally planned before the government U-turned following a rebellion from backbenchers. Just £227m is set to [...]
Canary Wharf announces plans for an Olympic-sized open-water lido August 29, 2025 Canary Wharf plans to open an Olympic-sized open-water lido at Eden Dock in its latest push to expand its leisure offering. Set to open next summer – subject to planning approval – Sea Lanes Canary Wharf will offer a natural water lido, plus saunas, a clubhouse and a restaurant. “Almost one year on from the [...]
Household costs hit private renters and families in Labour’s first year August 28, 2025 Household costs rose higher for families and renters than other groups in the year to June, official data has shown, as inflation has nearly doubled in the first year of Labour compared to the last year of the previous Conservative government. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said overall UK household costs rose by 3.9 [...]