Starmer in dire straits as British voters pessimistic on almost every issue January 15, 2026 Leaders rarely fail because of a single decision. Starmer's problem is that voters are pessimistic on almost every major measure.
Defence splurge cannot fund planned expansion, military chief says January 14, 2026 The Labour government’s commitment to increase defence expenditure to 2.5 per cent of GDP from next year will not fully fund the planned expansion of the armed forces, a top military official has warned. Sir RIchard Knighton, chief of the defence staff, told MPs on Monday the rise in government funding would not be enough [...]
AI and defence demand for chips sends IQE shares soaring January 12, 2026 Shares in semiconductor giant IQE surged 25 per cent to 9.18p on Monday morning, after the wafer supplier said it expects its full year results to hit the upper end of its guidance, thanks to a recovery in AI and defence-related demand. The Cardiff-based company now forecasts 2025 revenue of around £97m, and adjusted earnings [...]
FTSE 100 defence stocks boosted by Trump’s calls for military spending hike January 8, 2026 Shares in top FTSE 100 defence stocks were boosted on Thursday morning, following President Trump’s push for a 50 per cent boost to the US military budget. BAE Systems shares shot up 6.7 per cent following the market open to highs not seen since October, while Babcock rose by more than 2.2 per cent. President [...]
Labour urged to ramp up defence spending January 7, 2026 The Labour government is being urged to ramp up defence spending at a faster pace as opposition party leaders warned threats to Greenland, Ukraine and Nato required Keir Starmer to take swift action. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey were among those demanding the government to bring forward a 2034 deadline [...]
US military won’t invade Greenland, but Wall Street Warriors might January 7, 2026 A US military invasion of Greenland would be self-defeating, but both sides have a great deal to gain from harmonious financial relations, writes James Gray.
2026 will be all about hard power January 6, 2026 The season of peace on earth and good will to all men did not last long, and while I’ll shed no tears at seeing a corrupt dictator snatched from his lair it’s fair to say that 2026 is off to an uneasy start. The market response to Donald Trump’s audacious swoop on Venezuela has been [...]
Financial services to plough cash into UK defence in 2026 December 29, 2025 Financial services are planning to pump cash into the UK’s defence sector next year after facing pressure to ramp up investment amid increased geopolitical tensions. Nearly two-thirds of financial services leaders expect the sector to increase investment in UK defence in 2026, with more than a quarter anticipating that investment will rise “much more” over [...]
Armed forces chief to warn ‘whole nation must step up’ amid Russian threat December 15, 2025 Growing threats faced by the UK will require “our whole nation stepping up” to ensure the country can continue to function in a crisis, the head of the British armed forces will warn. Chief of the defence staff Sir Richard Knighton will say the situation is “more dangerous than I have known during my career” [...]
Britain must invest in defence AI to secure its future December 5, 2025 The UK has the talent and industrial base to compete in defence tech, but leveraging these effectively will require more than investment.