Defence: Building submarines is ‘blueprint’ for UK growth, Starmer says March 20, 2025 Building new submarines in Barrow-in-Furness is a “blueprint” for how increasing defence spending can boost prosperity across the UK, the Prime Minister has said. Sir Keir Starmer made the comments ahead of a visit to the town at the heart of Britain’s submarine-building industry. Sir Keir is expected to lay the keel for the next [...]
Xlinks’ sub-sea high-wire act March 20, 2025 The story of a Moroccan wind and solar farm the size of Greater London providing energy for a country thousands of miles away would ordinarily be the preserve of sci-fi books. But Xlinks founder Simon Morrish tells Ali Lyon that the only thing stopping it from becoming a reality is the UK’s snail-paced state. Simon Morrish is [...]
Bullish Gen Z bucks consumer confidence trend March 20, 2025 Gen Z’s plans to go big on spending in the next three months have contributed to a rise in consumer confidence, a new survey has suggested. Barclays last year predicted in November that people born between 1996 and 2010 would account for around 39 per cent of retail spending by 2030. Now a new survey [...]
Dear England review: This reboot takes England into extra time March 19, 2025 Here we go again, again. If making us relive the England men’s team repeatedly snatching defeat from the jaws of victory seemed cruel 18 months ago, that cruelty has only been compounded by the addition of yet of another tournament in which Gareth Southgate’s young team came tantalisingly close to lifting a first trophy in [...]
This new LGBTQ film playing at BFI Flare 2025 ‘redefines’ the kiss March 19, 2025 A Night Like This is one of dozens of new films premiering at BFI Flare festival on the Southbank this month It’s a difficult truth that the same writers, directors and actors tend to get work funded. It’s a safer option for investors to go with people who have public profiles and are believed to [...]
All the pubs hiking the price of a pint after Budget tax raid March 19, 2025 Shepherd Neame announced this morning that it would be forced to raise prices at its 290 pubs due to cost pressures from last October’s budget. The family business follows a host of other hospitality companies in raising prices, with the average price of a pint set to go up by six to eight per cent, [...]
Don’t ask business to ‘shoulder more burden’, CBI chief urges March 19, 2025 The government should not “ask businesses to shoulder any more of a burden”, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) chief has warned in the wake of the welfare cuts. Work and pensions secretary Lilz Kendall announced on Tuesday a raft of welfare measures she said will help bring more working age people back into jobs. [...]
Asda’s confident new boss is a boon for shoppers, and a threat to rivals March 19, 2025 Asda's bold new boss may have spooked rivals, but shoppers will come out on top, writes Susannah Streeter in today's Notebook.
Bloomberg breaks record for the largest private donation to London Museum March 18, 2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies has broken the record for the largest private donation to the London Museum, with a gift of £20m and a world-renowned collection of Roman artefacts. London Museum will use the money to aid its move from 150 London Wall to Smithfield market, which is currently scheduled for completion in 2026. The artefacts, which [...]
Hannes Myburgh’s Meerlust Estate is wine tasting paradise March 18, 2025 Meerlust Rubicon was the first wine I bought en primeur. This is the process of buying wine while it is still aging, ahead of it coming to market. It means securing sought-after bottles at potentially lower prices while the winemakers receive an early cash flow. I felt very grown up and sophisticated and rather lucky [...]