Environment secretary: Labour’s water revolution will give investors certainty July 22, 2025 Abolishing Ofwat and streamlining water regulation will give the sector the clarity and accountability it needs to attract private investment, says environment secretary Steve Reed Today is the start of a water revolution. When I came into office a year ago, it was immediately clear our water system needed a complete reset. There were high [...]
Branston maker buys Liverpool’s iconic Royal Liver Building in cut-price deal July 22, 2025 Princes, the food group behind the likes of Branston, Olivio and Batchelors, has acquired Liverpool’s iconic Royal Liver Building in a cut-price deal. The company has purchased the building for £60m, three years after it was put up for sale for £90m. The sale was called off in November 2022 due to a lack of [...]
Rachel Reeves oversees higher government borrowing than expected July 22, 2025 Government borrowing has overshot predictions, putting Rachel Reeves under more pressure to take control of public finances. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said public sector borrowing hit £20.7bn in June, higher than market expectations which pencilled in just over £17bn in borrowing. Borrowing in June this year was some £6bn more than at the [...]
Lionesses and late licences set to deliver £135m boost to UK economy July 22, 2025 Pubs will be allowed to stay open until 1am tonight for the Lionesses’ Women’s Euros semi-final with Italy as the UK economy gets set for a boost of more than £135m. The Home Office announced plans in May to extend licensing hours if England reached the last four of the tournament and they were approved [...]
Government consultants pledge under threat as spending jumps July 22, 2025 Government spending on management consultants rose by over £150m during Labour’s first year in office, despite the party’s manifesto pledge to halve the amount departments dish out to third party advisers, City AM can reveal. Total spending on management consultancy contracts totalled £1.44bn during the first 12 months of the government’s four-year term, up from [...]
UK government to sanction companies driving illegal migration July 22, 2025 The UK government is set to introduce a new sanctions regime targeting people smuggling gangs and rogue companies driving illegal migration as part of efforts to curb small boat crossings and stop modern slavery in the UK. In new reforms unveiled by the Foreign Office, individuals and companies responsible for irregular migration will see their [...]
Labour’s war on business is a gift to Nigel Farage July 22, 2025 Labour’s paralysis is driving business away from Britain and paving a path to power for Nigel Farage and Reform, says Alexander Temerko The government of Keir Starmer has internalised a culture of hesitation so completely that inaction is no longer perceived as a flaw, but as a mode of governance. Over the past year, a [...]
Top bosses briefed by Foreign Office on global risks July 21, 2025 Top business executives are set to receive briefings from the Foreign Office on global risks including conflicts and trade tensions as part of a wider strategy to help UK firms expand overseas. Representatives of the Premier League, Lloyds Bank and PwC are among those attending a first-of-its-kind event at Lancaster House where leading diplomats are [...]
Rachel Reeves should tweak fiscal rules to ease pressure, IFS says July 21, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves should bring forward a change to fiscal rules to ease pressures faced at spring fiscal events, a leading economics think tank has urged. In a new briefing on public finances, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said Rachel Reeves should refrain from changing the number of times the Office for Budget Responsibility [...]
Thameslink boss steps down after less than two years July 21, 2025 The chief executive of Go-Ahead, the group which operates London’s Thameslink, Gatwick Express and the Elizabeth Line through a joint venture, has stepped down after less than two years in the role. Miguel Parras has resigned from his role at the Newcastle-headquartered group to “pursue other opportunities” after 20 months. The group has not announced [...]