OBR chief: Public ‘have not lowered their expectations about what the state can do’ Politics A top economist at the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has sent a warning on the effect more tax rises could have on growth and on the public’s expectations about “what the state can do for them”. Professor David Miles, who is one of three top members at the independent fiscal watchdog, said that the [...]
Burnham and Trump strike UK-US defence AI deal AI Britain will link its military AI taskforce with its US counterpart under a new defence pact, deepening transatlantic tech ties as AI plays a growing role on the battlefield. The UK’s Defence Rapid AI Delivery Taskforce will work with the US Department of War’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office to accelerate the deployment of [...]
Strong defence is the foundation of prosperity Opinion The City’s success and status as a global financial hub rests on the foundations of stability, rule of law and security. So the City should show its support however it can and we’re glad to play our own part, says Susan Langley This year’s Strategic Defence Review shone a spotlight on a question we can [...]
Former Labour deputy joins Palantir as tech giant targets UK growth September 18, 2026 Former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson has joined Palantir as a senior vice president as the US tech firm looks to expand its work with the British government while facing mounting scrutiny over its public sector contracts. Watson, who served as an MP for 18 years and held ministerial roles under Gordon Brown, will work [...]
Burnham insists defence uplift ‘can’t come at expense’ of welfare September 9, 2026 Andy Burnham has said an uplift in defence spending will not come “at the expense” of benefits. During Prime Minister’s Questions, Burnham said “national security can’t come at the expense of social security” in response to attacks from Tory leader Kemi Badenoch over the absence of plans to get defence spending up to three per [...]
Badenoch: Cut benefits to fund £10bn defence spending package September 2, 2026 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 [...]
The unhelpful nationalism of ‘Buy British’ in defence August 31, 2026 Hyperfixating on where a defence company happens to be registered will leave Britain on the back foot, writes Paul Jenkinson.
UK government takes stake in miner after £71m injection August 25, 2026 The government’s National Wealth Fund is set to pump £71m into miner Tungsten West in a bid to help reopen the Hemerdon mine in Devon. The funding package combines a £36m share purchase, which will hand the government a 7.4 per cent stake in Tungsten and a seat on the board of directors, and a [...]
Serco chief hits back at New Statesman’s outsourcing jibes August 6, 2026 Serco’s boss has hit back at media criticism in the New Statesman and other outlets as the under-scrutiny firm boosted its sales and eyed more contract wins. The London-listed firm, which is one of Britain’s largest outsourcing companies running everything from bin collections to asylum accommodation, said it remained committed to bidding for contracts in [...]
BAE Systems raises guidance yet Burnham wavers on defence July 30, 2026 BAE Systems raised its guidance after a series of contract wins yet optimism over spending top-ups may have faded after Prime Minister Andy Burnham refused to commit to lifting expenditure. The aerospace and arms company said profit for the first half of the year amounted to more than £1bn while sales also improved on the [...]