Healey launches £150m northern scale-up fund Economics Chancellor John Healey is to pile £150m into start-ups in the North of England as part of the government’s bid to use devolution to drive economic growth. Healey will announce a new fund designed to back university spin outs and other start-ups in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle. The Chancellor will announce the fund, [...]
Bank of England’s Pill warns against ‘wait and see’ interest rates approach Economics The Bank of England’s chief economist has warned that a “wait and see approach” to setting interest rates amid the ongoing Iran war could unleash a fresh wave of inflation that the central bank will find hard to contain if left unchecked. Huw Pill, who has long been one of the most hawkish rate-setters on [...]
Badenoch: Cut benefits to fund £10bn defence spending package Politics Kemi Badenoch has urged the government to cut housing benefits, child benefits and re-route public investment in order to fund a £10bn boost on defence spending every year. The Tory leader, who had previously called for an increase in defence expenditure without laying out full funding plans, said that Chancellor John Healey “should adopt” plans [...]
Citi hit with £5m fine for violating UK sanctions on Russia September 2, 2026 Citi has been hit with a fine of nearly £5m after regulators found it violated the UK’s sanctions regime on Russia. The Wall Street giant’s London branch was found to have processed £19.7m in illicit transactions spanning 970 payments. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) ruled that, in one instance, Citi failed to freeze [...]
Burnham says the government is central to his ‘triple helix’ plan for growth September 1, 2026 Andy Burnham has said the state will be central to his “theory of growth” in his first statement in the House of Commons as Prime Minister. Addressing MPs, Burnham said his ideas for the UK economy centres on a “triple helix approach to economic development” in which universities, businesses and the government foster economic growth. The ‘triple [...]
IGI Announces the Launch of Cipher, A Specialty Treaty Reinsurance Platform Focused on Cyber September 1, 2026 International General Insurance Holdings Ltd. (“IGI” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: IGIC), the international specialty insurance and reinsurance group, today announced the launch of Bermuda-based Cipher Underwriting Ltd. (“Cipher”), a specialty treaty reinsurance managing general agent (MGA) established to provide dedicated cyber treaty underwriting expertise and solutions on a global basis. The commencement of Cipher’s operations [...]
Badenoch bets on experience as Griffith and Tugendhat claim shadow cabinet top spots August 31, 2026 Andrew Griffith has been announced as the new shadow chancellor, replacing Sir Mel Stride in a Conservative Party reshuffle carried out before parliament returns on Tuesday. Griffith, who was the shadow business secretary, will now lead on economic policy for the Tories heading up a new Conservative Economics Unit. Kemi Badenoch’s decision to sack Stride [...]
Green activists want to take Polanski down a dark road August 31, 2026 The Greens' absolutism is bad for politics, and Polanski too. Those who police dogma see heretics everywhere, even at the top.
International Swimming League set to make comeback in London this year August 26, 2026 London is to host the return of the International Swimming League (ISL), with a lucrative one-night All-Star Match set to take place at the Aquatics Centre in December. The team series ran for three seasons and sparked a civil war between swimmers including Britain’s Adam Peaty and the sport’s governing body, but has been on [...]
Iranian hackers behind UK energy plant attack August 23, 2026 An attack on an energy facility which was shut down for four days last month was carried out by hackers linked to the Iranian regime. The cyberattack, which is believed to be the first time Iranian-affiliated hackers have successfully infiltrated a UK energy facility, shutting it down. A government spokesperson for the Department for Energy [...]