As it happened: Stocks jump on defence and metals boost; Oil on track to shed a fifth on US-Iran peace hopes June 30, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Oil’s speed of decline has taken a hit this week as investors were forced to pause at the renewal of strike action between the US and Iran. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – was steadying above $73 per barrel, holding onto some of the [...]
Starmer to unveil hotly debated Defence Investment Plan in final act June 29, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer will unveil the highly-anticipated Defence Investment Plan in one of his final acts as Prime Minister. Starmer will publish full funding plans for the Defence Investment Plan (Dip), the government’s 10-year blueprint for armed forces, on Tuesday. He will say that more than £5bn over four years will be invested into drones, [...]
Google ‘disappointed’ as Youtube swept into UK social media ban June 29, 2026 Google has said it is “disappointing” that Youtube has been included in the government’s planned ban on social media for under-16s, warning the measures risk cutting children off from one of the internet’s biggest educational resources. The rebuke forms the firm’s strongest response yet to Keir Starmer’s plans to prohibit children under 16 from using [...]
Yoti boss warns social media ban needs tougher age-check standards June 29, 2026 The chief executive of digital identity giant Yoti has urged ministers to introduce minimum standards for age verification, warning the government’s proposed social media ban for under-16s risks falling short without clearer rules on how platforms check users’ ages. The intervention comes after Keir Starmer announced plans to block children under 16 from accessing major [...]
‘Corbyn was spot on’: The radical MP shaping Burnham’s economic agenda June 29, 2026 Miatta Fahnbulleh is one of Andy Burnham’s key confidants, spearheading his agenda on energy, devolution and the cost of living. Policies the MP for Peckham has previously endorsed suggest the country is in for a sharp leftward lurch, writes Ali Lyon. The red wall had been demolished. Boris Johnson, imperious. And Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour movement [...]
Burnham to unveil plans for devolution and ‘reindustrialisation’ June 28, 2026 Andy Burnham will unveil plans to devolve power away from London and shift some government operations to a “Number 10 in the North”, as the Prime Minister-to-be calls for a change in “how Britain is governed”. In a speech focused on growth on Monday morning, Burnham will say that a 10-year plan will focus on [...]
Whoever’s our next PM, please let the City help you June 28, 2026 No matter who inhabits 10 and 11 Downing Street, the City Corporation is ready to help drive growth, writes Chris Hayward.
Senior Labour figures downplay public appetite for general election June 28, 2026 Senior Labour figures have downplayed the British public’s appetite for a general election to secure any major policy shifts under a new leader and have insisted the party is united behind Andy Burnham. Talking to Sky News on Sunday, housing secretary Steve Reed suggested Keir Starmer’s possible successor would introduce “changes in emphasis” but stick [...]
Mahmood unveils refugee sponsorship route as asylum bill faces Labour test June 27, 2026 Home secretary Shabana Mahmood has unveiled plans for businesses and universities to sponsor refugees to come to Britain, as she seeks to shore up support for a wider asylum overhaul expected to face resistance from parts of Labour. The Home Office said it would introduce new “capped safe and legal” routes from later this year, [...]
From stamp duty to the triple lock, Andy Haldane says bold Burnham leadership can usher ‘vibe change’ for UK economy June 26, 2026 Andy Haldane is pressing for a radical shake-up of the UK’s tax and wider economic systems as he heaped praise on the Prime Minister-to-be Andy Burnham for having the potential to bring a “change in vibe” across Britain. Haldane, who is advising Burnham on economic policies and growth, urged the country’s next leader to be [...]