Hawks vs Doves: Bank of England’s MPC will hold interest rates – but expect dissent September 17, 2025 In the last year, the Bank of England has cut interest rates five times on the expectation that price rises were easing in the UK. When inflation hit a 41-year high of 11.1 per cent in October 2022, policymakers at the Bank warned that its fight to battle inflation was “sacrosanct”. The relentless spiralling of [...]
The UK’s Tech Prosperity Deal is a high-stakes gamble September 17, 2025 As President Donald Trump stepped on British soil, the two nations unveiled a landmark “Tech Prosperity Deal,” a pact aimed at cementing Britain’s position as a global leader in AI, quantum, and nuclear energy. Hailed by prime minister Keir Starmer as a “generational step change”, the agreement is underpinned by £31bn in private investment from [...]
Donald Trump to Keir Starmer’s rescue – or torment? September 16, 2025 President Donald Trump will look out of Air Force One’s windows to see England’s green and pleasant land before arriving this afternoon. He will surely be giddy with excitement about his meeting with the King and a very royal carriage procession inside Windsor Castle’s grounds tomorrow. He will also be pleased to see his unlikely [...]
Spanish PM Sanchez calls for Israel ban from international sport September 15, 2025 Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez has called on Israel to be banned from international sport following disruption to the Vuelta a Espana. It comes after pro-Palestine protestors caused the cycling race to be concluded prematurely at the weekend over anger surrounding the participation of the Israel-Premier Tech team, which is privately rather than state-owned. The [...]
Defence stocks rise as Europe’s tensions with Russia escalate September 10, 2025 European defence stocks rallied on Wednesday after the shock arrival of Russian drones across the border with Poland sent tensions in the region to fresh highs. Shares in FTSE 100 giant BAE Systems closed up 2.1 per cent to 1,830p by the end of the day’s trading in London, while Italy’s Leonardo rose 2.4 per [...]
Starmer backs Mandelson amid calls for his sacking September 10, 2025 Keir Starmer has said he has “full confidence” in the UK’s ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson despite calls from his own backbenches for him to be sacked over new revelations about his links to the notorious Jeffrey Epstein. The prime minister said “due process” was followed around Mandelson’s appointment to his key ambassadorial role [...]
Von der Leyen: Russia must pay for Ukraine’s recovery September 10, 2025 The European Commission has called for another package of sanctions against Russia with President Ursula von der Leyen saying: “This is Russia’s war, and it is Russia that should pay.” During her 2025 ‘State of the Union’ address, von der Leyen emphasised that European taxpayers should not be the only ones bearing the brunt of [...]
How the City can help fight back against emerging threats September 8, 2025 Britain is embroiled in a shadow war, and as threats evolve so must the business models we use to fight back, says Mark Wheatley We may not be in the middle of a full-blown conflagration. But we are embroiled in something like a shadow war. The threats we in Britain face today – from cyberattack [...]
Ex-wife of sanctioned former Russian PM wins divorce appeal September 4, 2025 The former Prime Minister of Russia, Vladimir Potanin, is set to face a multi-billion-pound divorce case in England after his ex-wife won her case at the Court of Appeal today. Natalia Nikolaevna Potanina was married to Potanin for around thirty years before divorcing in Russia in 2014. However, she had argued that the Russian court’s [...]
Geopolitical instability hits the bottom line as businesses suffer investment losses September 3, 2025 Businesses have suffered losses in international projects or investments due to geopolitical and economic risks, with interest in political risk insurance (PRI) soaring as a result. According to a new report by insurer Howden, over half of the companies surveyed, comprising around 500 senior risk and treasury function decision-makers, reported suffering a political loss to [...]