Starmer is in denial over defence spending March 3, 2026 Keir Starmer’s dither and delay on defence spending is leaving Britain vulnerable in uncertain times, says Eliot Wilson Trades unions have no monopoly on wisdom. They are advocates for the interests of their members, and they have been wrong just as often as government or big business over the years. But on this occasion, Sharon [...]
Starmer is being squeezed from all directions March 3, 2026 Labour and the Conservatives have lost public trust and are being challenged by insurgents on both the left and the right, new polling shows, says Matthew Lesh Clowns to the left of me. Jokers to the right. Here’s Keir Starmer – stuck in the middle, losing you. The catastrophic defeat of the government by the [...]
Meet Reeves’ outsider tasked with steering the City to growth March 3, 2026 The City has rolled out the red carpet for the banking watchdog’s new chief after Katharine Braddick, a seasoned veteran of the financial trenches, was named on Friday as the successor to Sam Woods. For a cool £314,000 a year, she’s set to take on the brief of steering the UK’s banking sector. Chancellor Rachel [...]
Reeves to deliver ‘stability’ Spring Statement amid turmoil in Iran March 3, 2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to deliver a Spring Statement trumpeting the UK’s economic stability against the backdrop of a war in the Middle East, with official forecasts expected to touch on lower growth, falling inflation and higher unemployment over the coming months. In an address to the House of Commons around 12.30pm today, Reeves [...]
Trump and Starmer in row over use of UK military bases March 2, 2026 President Trump has said he is “very disappointed” in Sir Keir Starmer after the UK initially refused to allow the US to use military bases to organise attacks on Iran over the weekend. Trump has said the Prime Minister “took far too long” to change his mind in allowing military bases to be used after [...]
Badenoch: Starmer’s refusal to back US strikes a ‘pure political calculation’ March 2, 2026 Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has accused Sir Keir Starmer of initially refusing to allow the US to use its military bases for strikes on Iran for “political” reasons rather than legal ones. In a speech at Policy Exchange, the centre-right think tank, Badenoch said the UK’s response to the conflict in the Middle East had [...]
Defence stocks jump as Iran conflict drives munitions demand March 2, 2026 European defence stocks rose at the start of the week as investors anticipated that the widening conflict in the Middle East will push up demand for munitions and military hardware. Although the European-wide Stoxx 600 was trading 1.3 per cent lower, many of the continent’s largest weapons manufacturers were comfortably in the green. In the [...]
UK considers social media curfew as under-16 ban looms March 2, 2026 The government is considering overnight curfews on social media and tighter restrictions on children’s access to AI chatbots as it prepares to launch what it describes as a “national conversation” on online safety. From Monday, parents and young people will be invited to take part in a consultation exploring measures that could include an Australia-style [...]
Defence secretary defends UK stance on Iran as Starmer faces backlash March 1, 2026 Keir Starmer is facing mounting criticism from senior Conservatives over Britain’s response to the escalating conflict with Iran, as defence secretary John Healey confirmed UK forces are actively intercepting Iranian drones and reinforcing regional defences. Speaking on Sky News, Healey said “few people will mourn the Ayatollah’s death”. He described the Iranian regime as a [...]
Burnham would ‘probably’ have won by-election, says Powell February 28, 2026 Andy Burnham would have won the Gorton and Denton by-election, Labour’s deputy leader said as she called for the party to make more use of the Greater Manchester mayor. Labour fell to third in the previously rock-solid seat on Thursday, with the Greens winning a fifth seat in Parliament and Reform UK coming second. The [...]