Starmer calls for ‘moment to unite’ as Nato agrees defence pledge June 25, 2025 Keir Starmer said the latest Nato summit represented a “moment to unite” as 32 member countries committed to ramp up spending on defence to 3.5 per cent by 2035, with a further 1.5 per cent allocated towards security and infrastructure. The Prime Minister said investment will go towards cyber security and protecting key infrastructure while [...]
FTSE 100 and sterling take a hit after Israel strikes Iran June 13, 2025 The FTSE 100 and pound tumbled Friday morning after Israel launched a flurry of strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear programme. The UK’s blue-chip index was down 0.6 per cent during early trading, led by a slump in the airline sector. BA parent IAG and low-cost airline Easyjet were down nearly four per cent following the crash [...]
Spear guns, knuckle dusters and machetes: The ‘prohibited items’ at London Tech Week June 9, 2025 London Tech Week 2025 opened with appearances from Sir Keir Starmer and Nvidia chief Jensen Huang, but attendees got a bigger surprise from a sign at the door outlining “prohibited items” at the event. Morning Wire has seen a list ranging from spear guns and tear gas to knuckle dusters, nun-chucks and machetes, that looked [...]
London Tech Week: Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Keir Starmer unveil AI push June 9, 2025 Nvidia chief Jensen Huang and Keir Starmer unveiled a major AI push at London Tech Week this morning. The two figureheads have unveiled a range of changes to boost Britain’s AI infrastructure, research and industrial capacity, to help the UK become an “AI maker, not an AI taker.” US chip maker Nvidia, a leading player [...]
FTSE 100 defence stocks: Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems and Babcock shares surge June 2, 2025 Shares in FTSE 100 giants Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems and Babcock have surged off the back of the UK government unveiled its strategic defence review. Plans to build up to 12 new nuclear-powered attack submarines have been included in the 130-page document, which concludes UK must prepare for conflict in Europe or the Atlantic and move [...]
Qinetiq shares soar after £1.5bn extension to Ministry of Defence deal May 22, 2025 Qinetiq, the FTSE 250 defence contractor, has announced a £1.5bn extension to its partnership deal with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD). The Farnborough-based firm said on Thursday it will extend its Long Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA) with the government by five years to 2033. Qinetiq’s LTPA contract provides UK armed forces with test and [...]
Defence boom will continue long after Ukraine war, says Panmure May 19, 2025 An end to hostilties in Ukraine would only be a short-term setback for the share price of European defence manufacturers, according to analysts. The International Institute for Strategic Studies (ISS) said last week that in the case of a mid-2025 ceasefire in Ukraine, Russia could rearm and attack a Baltic state as soon as 2027. [...]
The defence industry shouldn’t expect a gold rush May 19, 2025 Despite all their talk, Labour's promises won't mean a gold rush for the defence industry, writes Eliot Wilson.
BAE Systems to spend billions on growth and hire thousands more staff May 7, 2025 BAE Systems has said it plans to hire thousands more staff as the company prepares for an increase in global defence spending. Shares in the London-listed company have rocketed more than 50 per cent since the start of the year. This morning, it said it plans to recruit as many as 2,400 new apprentices, undergraduates, and graduates [...]
Sir Ben Wallace: Former defence secretary gets new job April 28, 2025 Former defence secretary Sir Ben Wallace has taken up his second private sector role since retiring from politics, joining the board of an engineering firm specialising in energy security. Advanced Innergy Holdings (AIS) supplies industrial and energy clients with technology used to protect a wide range of assets, ranging from subsea cables to offshore wind [...]