News

City firms bank on ‘savvy’ advertising campaign to push Brits towards investing

The campaign, fronted by a CGI squirrel, is part of government initiative to boost financial risk taking, amid fears UK growth is being stymied Nils Pratley: the ‘Savvy Squirrel looks a hit too tame’ City firms are pinning their hopes on a government-endorsed advertising blitz fronted by a finance “savvy” CGI squirrel to encourage cautious British savers to shift out of cash and start investing. The long-awaited retail investment campaign, which will cost up to £50m, is part of the chancellor

<a href='https://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-keir-starmer-peter-mandelson-vetting-commons-iran-war-olly-robbins-12593360?postid=11567022#liveblog-body'>Riot police to be deployed to stop small boat crossings</a>

UK to pay France another £660m to curb Channel crossings

Three-year deal includes funding for a riot squad to ‘disperse’ people trying to board small boats The UK government has agreed to pay France another £660m to curb the number of asylum seekers travelling across the Channel, including plans to fund a riot squad to “contain and disperse” people trying to board small boats. Under a three-year deal to be signed on Thursday by the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, 1,100 enforcement, intelligence and military officers – an increase of 40% – will be emp

Farmers ‘forced to throw away food’ in new Keir Starmer Brexit betrayal

The UK's adoption of EU rules could force farmers to throw away oven chips, bread, cake and crisps, a major industry figure has warned.

Labour given bombshell warning over migrant hotel and cash support - 'not far enough'

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will revoke European laws to automatically provide arrivals with support.

State pension triple lock warning as Labour and Tories told they face 'annihilation'

Catastrophe awaits those who dare to scrap the anti-poverty policy, as most Brits want it to stay

Britain’s military dependence on US ‘no longer tenable’, says former Nato chief

Lord Robertson says diplomatic tone from White House is at ‘historic low’ and two allies are likely to keep diverging UK politics live – latest updates Britain’s high military dependence on the US “is no longer tenable” and the UK has to become increasingly independent of the special relationship with Washington, a former Nato chief has warned. Lord Robertson, who last week accused British leaders of a “corrosive complacency” towards defence, said on Wednesday the traditional allies were diver

Ministers speak out in cabinet meeting over Starmer’s sacking of Olly Robbins

Sources say cabinet ministers warned PM against alienating civil service after firing of official over Mandelson scandal UK politics live – latest updates Cabinet ministers have expressed concern about Keir’s Starmer’s decision to sack Olly Robbins as the Foreign Office’s top official over the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal as they warned him not to alienate the civil service, sources have told the Guardian. Several ministers spoke out about the decision to sack Robbins during a gloomy cabine

Government Delays and Promises to Change Starmer’s Hated Troubles Bill

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has announced in a written Commons statement that the reviled Troubles Bill will be amended and delayed before reappearing in the next parliamentary session. He said: “In recent months I, along with the Prime Minister, the Defence Secretary, the Attorney General and the Armed Forces Minister, have been consulting widely…

Taxes on UK workers have risen at fastest rate in rich world, says OECD

Survey by global economic forum shows ‘tax wedge’ in Britain increased to 32.4% of income in 2025 Business live – latest updates Taxes on workers in Britain rose at the fastest rate among the world’s richest economies last year, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. With Labour under pressure on the economy amid the Iran war, the OECD said a key measure of the total tax paid by workers and their employers rose by the most in the 38-member club of rich nations

Martin Parsons: Is a permanent peace treaty with the Islamic Republic of Iran even possible?

Islamic regimes like Iran or the Taliban do not think the way we think. They have a wholly different worldview which is essentially eschatological – looking forward to a golden era when Islamic government and shari’a enforcement spread across the entire world. The post Martin Parsons: Is a permanent peace treaty with the Islamic Republic of Iran even possible? appeared first on Conservative Home.

UK firms to face tougher checks on export licences to bolster sanctions on Russia

News follows Guardian report on licence given to British firm exporting machinery to Armenian firm linked to Russian war effort British firms will face “much tougher” controls to prevent their goods from reaching Russia via other countries, undermining sanctions and aiding Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine. Under plans to be unveiled on Wednesday, the government will be able to require UK manufacturers to obtain a licence if they want to export to a country suspected of acting as a staging pos