UK ambassadors to have growth ‘KPIs’, foreign secretary tells trade summit March 21, 2025 The UK’s ambassadors will have “KPIs that contribute to our economic growth” as diplomats shift to a more economic mindset, the foreign secretary has said. David Lammy told an audience of businesses that he wants the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to become the “international delivery arm of the government’s missions, the first of [...]
Consumer confidence ticks up but ‘little evidence’ of recovery March 21, 2025 Consumer confidence rose by one point in March as Brits became more pessimistic about their own finances but more optimistic about the UK’s. The overall effect was to push confidence up to -19 in March, from -20 in February and -21 in March last year. The index remained below its long-term average. “If consumer confidence [...]
Ukraine peacekeeping talks reaching ‘military plan’ stage, says Starmer March 20, 2025 Talks on the Ukraine peacekeeping force are reaching the stage of a “military plan” aimed at “keeping the skies safe”, Sir Keir Starmer has said. The Prime Minister has said the “timetable now is coming into focus”, and that if a deal comes to fruition, the so-called ‘coalition of the willing’ needs to be ready [...]
Amazon Prime Video snaps up Republic of Ireland Nations League play-off March 20, 2025 Amazon Prime Video UK is showing the Republic of Ireland’s Nations League play-off against Bulgaria through its pay-per-view platform. The streaming service is also offering Spain’s tie with the Netherlands and Italy’s clash with Germany, priced at £2.49 a game. The matches are available to Prime Video subscribers and non-subscribers alike, and add to Amazon’s [...]
Week in Business: Is Keir Starmer leading the UK into recession? March 20, 2025 Following the PM's punchy op-ed in City AM, Editor Christian May gives his reaction to Starmer's article and puts the Prime Minister's prose in context.
Bank of England holds interest rates amid low growth and trade tensions March 20, 2025 The Bank of England has held interest rates at 4.5 per cent as worries over a global trade war flare up. Rate-setter Swati Dhingra, an external member on the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), was the lone wolf who voted for a 25 basis point cut. The decision saw Catherine Mann split from Dhingra after the [...]
Fintech boss outlines industry’s Spring Statement needs March 20, 2025 With the Chancellor’s Spring Statement under a week away, a fintech boss has laid out how the government must support the industry. Laurent Descout, co-founder and chief executive of payments platform NEO, said Rachel Reeves must prioritise support for the fintech sector through two key areas: university funding and helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). [...]
Voters will punish Labour if rhetoric on welfare doesn’t match reality March 20, 2025 Much like the previous Tory administration, this Labour government’s political downfall risks being driven by a vast gap between its promises and actual delivery, says Matthew Lesh The government has announced reforms aimed at getting the rising number of post-Covid jobless into the workforce and reducing the welfare bill. The Prime Minister presents the initiative [...]
This future of AI is examined in this exciting new movie March 20, 2025 Documentary The Thinking Game charts the rise of AI through the story of DeepMind, a leading AI lab founded by Demis Hassabis, an earnest but likeable tech genius who has devoted his life to “solving” the mystery of artificial general intelligence (AGI). Recruiting the best minds in the field, they seek to create systems that [...]
Yorkshire Water forced to pay out £40m after ‘serious failures’ March 20, 2025 Yorkshire Water will have to pay out a £40m “enforcement package” to address a series of “serious failures” in its maintenance of sewage networks. The water supplier will pay out £36.6m over the next five years after the water watchdog Ofwat found repeated failures to properly invest in infrastructure. Environmentally sensitive areas will be targeted [...]