Reeves warned Iran war oil shock will lead to government borrowing spike June 2, 2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been warned that government borrowing is set to spike as a result of the Iran war as the Office for Budget Responsibility admitted it had underestimated the effects of the last energy price shock. In a review of its forecasting models, the OBR suggested it had learned lessons from Russia’s full-scale [...]
UK has ‘lost control’ of its international narrative, says Barclays June 2, 2026 Barclays has laid bare the investment barriers facing the UK in a new report that states the nation has “lost control of its international narrative” leading to an impact on foreign capital. The banking giant has called for a drastic shake-up of how the UK attracts international capital, following its share narrowing to seven per [...]
Is Zack Polanski’s honeymoon over? June 2, 2026 Green Party leader Zack Polanski’s approval ratings have dived as scrutiny over his past experiences has put him in an awkward position. City PM/Freshwater Strategy polling has shown that Polanski’s approval ratings have dropped from a high of -5 in March to as low as -23 in this month’s data. On a monthly basis, his [...]
Replace Reeves if Starmer goes, voters tell Labour June 2, 2026 Rachel Reeves should be replaced as Chancellor if Sir Keir Starmer is ousted in a Labour leadership contest, the majority of voters believe. Reeves’ team had told newspapers that she should stay on in order to maintain some stability if Starmer were defeated by Wes Streeting, Andy Burnham or another Labour leader contender in a [...]
Mandelson Files add insult to injury, but the patient was already beyond saving June 2, 2026 The deluge of emails, Whatsapp messages and hand-written notes released yesterday cover the full range of political and diplomatic life, from the absurd to the poignant; from rows over a gift for Donald Trump to soul-searching over Keir Starmer’s failures, it’s all there in black and white. What’s clear at a glance is quite how [...]
Sadiq Khan: London tech boom can weather ‘dizzying’ AI risks June 1, 2026 Sadiq Khan has insisted London is “busy writing” the future of AI despite the “dizzying” risks posed by the technology, as fresh figures show the capital has reclaimed its position as Europe’s leading tech hub. The Mayor of London said AI presents both “impacts and opportunities”, but argued the capital was well placed to benefit [...]
Brits back Blair’s growth calls – yet are squeamish over welfare cuts June 1, 2026 Most Britons back Tony Blair’s demands to prioritise cheaper energy over net zero and support the private sector to boost growth, yet are squeamish over slashing disability payments and reforming the triple lock pension, polling has shown. Following up on Tony Blair’s rallying call for potential Labour leadership contenders to focus on growth, City PM/Freshwater [...]
Labour sheds union member support to Reform, poll shows June 1, 2026 Trade union members are split between supporting Labour and Reform UK, a poll has found, reflecting the breakdown of Britain’s traditional voting patterns. A poll by JL Partners has suggested that support for the two parties from union members is tied at 28 per cent, with Labour dropping 20 percentage points in support since the [...]
NATO military chief presses UK to accelerate defence pledges May 31, 2026 Nato’s military chief has urged Britain and other allies to speed up the delivery of their defence pledges. Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Nato’s military committee chair, said he is “frustrated” by the UK and its allies’ commitments to spend on defence which he said do not stand if there is no equipment to show for [...]
Ministers back SNP probe as Sturgeon refuses to apologise for Murrell May 31, 2026 Two top government ministers have backed an inquiry into the SNP after its former chief executive Peter Murrell admitted to embezzling over £400,000 from the party. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg that there “should definitely be an inquiry because trust in politics has been fundamentally undermined by the [...]
