Britain’s first sovereign AI model secures blue-chip backing as Starmer unveils £400m plan June 8, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer’s push to build sovereign British AI capability has won backing from some of the country’s biggest companies, with BT, HSBC, Lloyds, Natwest and BAE Systems joining plans to develop Britain’s first sovereign frontier AI model. British AI startup Cosine unveiled a coalition of major banks, defence contractors and infrastructure firms who had [...]
Electoral reform could destroy the Labour party June 8, 2026 Labour is playing with fire to consider electoral reform at a time when it’s share of voter support is so low, says Eliot Wilson Electoral reform is one of those issues to which most people give little thought, but for those to whom it matters, it matters a great deal. Changing the voting system for [...]
Tate & Lyle confirms £2.7bn takeover by US rival June 8, 2026 Tate & Lyle has accepted a £2.7bn takeover deal by a rival American food firm, in the latest flight of a historic brand from London’s stock market. The 123-year old business said Ingredion’s offer – which totals 615p per share – represents an “attractive opportunity for shareholders”. The deal comes after the company revealed another [...]
Fifa+ deal to boost Dazn’s quest for first profit, says CEO June 8, 2026 Dazn CEO Shay Segev insists the global sport streaming platform will make money from hosting Fifa+, the world governing body’s mothballed direct-to-consumer product. Fifa+, which comprises archive footage, live games from obscure competitions and magazine shows, is now only available on Dazn after Fifa pulled the plug on its four-year-old D2C offering. Segev told City [...]
Upgrading the grid risks ending up like HS2 June 7, 2026 Upgrading the UK's electricity grid is a vastly complex project. I hope the government's learned from HS2, writes John Lazar.
Defence spending plan delay undermines UK credibility, MPs say June 7, 2026 The delay in publishing Keir Starmer’s long-awaited plan on defence spending has undermined the UK’s credibility and left the country less safe, a parliamentary committee has warned. In a new report critisising the long delay in publishing Starmer’s Defence Investment Plan (DIP), the Public Accounts Committee said this “has undermined the UK government’s credibility with [...]
Starmer scrambles to make savings in bid to boost defence spending June 7, 2026 Keir Starmer is planning on making cuts across the government in a bid to fund his long awaited Defence Investment Plan. The prime minister will make targeted slashes to transport and net zero spending by 1 per cent in a bid to raise approximately £6bn for defence costs by the end of this parliament. Starmer [...]
Air fares to soar again if fuel costs stay high, British Airways chief warns June 7, 2026 Prices for flights will shoot up again if fuel costs stay high, the chief of British Airways has warned. The airline’s chief executive, Sean Doyle, said there is “no getting away from” the fact that “if fuel goes up, fares have to go up.” Since the Iran war began in February, jet fuel prices have [...]
Peter Kyle vows state will take bigger stakes in Britain’s next tech giants June 6, 2026 The government is preparing to take larger stakes in Britain’s fastest-growing companies as Peter Kyle ramps up Labour’s efforts to turn the state into a more active backer of private enterprise. Ahead of London Tech Week, the business secretary said ministers would become more willing to deploy taxpayer money alongside private investors, arguing that government [...]
Starmer weighs cut to EU student fees in bid for Brexit reset June 6, 2026 Keir Starmer is considering cutting university fees for European students as part of a broader package designed to deepen Britain’s economic ties with the EU, in what could become one of the most politically sensitive concessions of his post-Brexit reset. Ministers are weighing whether to lower tuition costs for EU students attending British universities as [...]