Job vacancies fall to lowest level in five years April 21, 2026 The UK jobs market took a turn for the worst as job vacancies fell to their lowest level in nearly five years, according to official figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the number of vacancies fell by an estimate of 29,000 in the three months to March. It is the lowest level of [...]
‘It beggars belief’: Starmer insists he was not told about Mandelson’s vetting fail April 20, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he was not told that Lord Peter Mandelson failed a security vetting before telling MPs that “due process” around his appointment as US ambassador was followed. Starmer told MPs on Monday that he asked Whitehall officials to review whether due process was followed last September on whether the security vetting [...]
Top civil servant calls on lawyers advice over Mandelson vetting dismissal April 20, 2026 Sir Olly Robbins, who is set to answer MPs’ questions over Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment, is reportedly taking legal advice after he was ousted over the vetting scandal. Last week, Robbins, the Foreign Office permanent under-secretary, was dismissed after it emerged that the disgraced Mandelson had been denied clearance in a security vetting process. Mandelson [...]
Starmer would have blocked Mandelson ambassador role, says Lammy April 19, 2026 Keir Starmer would have stopped Lord Mandelson becoming UK ambassador to the US if he had known about security concerns, deputy prime minister David Lammy has said, as the political fallout intensifies. Speaking to the Guardian, Lammy said the prime minister would “never, ever” have approved the appointment had he been aware Mandelson failed the [...]
Top Foreign Office civil servant ousted over latest Mandelson bombshell April 16, 2026 The top civil servant in the Foreign Office has been ousted after losing the confidence over Sir Keir Starmer and foreign secretary Yvette Cooper. Foreign Office permanent under-secretary Sir Olly Robbins has become the latest Westminster figure to lose their role to the Mandelson scandal after it had emerged the disgraced peer was denied clearance in [...]
Hoo Hing: London’s largest Chinese supermarket defies sterling slump to return to profit April 16, 2026 London’s biggest Chinese grocery group has returned to profit, despite being hit by a weaker pound and falling revenue. Dagenham-based Hoo Hing Holdings was founded in the 1970s and has superstores in Mitcham, Milton Keynes and Park Royal. It posted a small pre-tax profit of £167,559 for the 12 months to the end of June [...]
UK chief executives scramble as Anthropic expands London AI hub April 16, 2026 Anthropic is expanding its London footprint with a new office for up to 800 staff, as UK bank bosses ramp up engagement with the firm over concerns about its latest AI models. The US-based company said it will scale up from its current base of more than 200 employees in the capital, with the new [...]
Nick Candy eyes payday after £275m home sale to Labour donor April 16, 2026 Reform UK fundraiser Nick Candy is looking to cash in on his assets after it was revealed that he sold his £275m home to a former Labour donor in what was put down as the largest house purchase in history. Quadrature Capital’s Suneil Setiya bought the hidden Chelsea mansion from Candy, according to the Financial [...]
Procook sales surge as young Brits get taste for dinner parties April 14, 2026 Procook has toasted surging sales as the kitchenware retailer cashed in on young Brits’ growing appetite for hosting dinner parties. The London-listed firm posted sales of £85.5m for the year to end March, a rise of just under a quarter on the previous year and ahead of market expectations of £83.5m, after demand outperformed the [...]
OECD tells Reeves to reform ‘inefficient’ UK tax system April 10, 2026 Top economists have urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to launch a sweeping review of the UK tax system in order to improve growth prospects and boost investment. Researchers at the OECD – Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development for long –said the UK economy suffered from distortions in its tax system as well as loopholes exploited [...]