Author: Blake Anderson

This article is an on-site version of our The State of Britain newsletter. Premium subscribers can sign up here to get the newsletter delivered every week. Standard subscribers can upgrade to Premium here, or explore all FT newslettersHello, I am Chris Cook, a senior reporter at the FT. In another life, I was a public policy editor and spent countless hours trudging around think-tank breakfasts and party conference fringes. And I was struck to hear one common idea from those forums make a comeback. More on that below. If you have any thoughts you would like to share about this…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.A deal between Britain and France to stop illegal Channel crossings will be far less effective than action to tackle the root causes of irregular migration, the UN’s migration agency chief has warned.Amy Pope, International Organization for Migration director-general, said pushing French police to employ tougher tactics against boats in shallow waters would mirror “rough measures” increasingly seen around the world, although rarely in democracies with developed legal systems. “The problem is not starting in France,” she told the Financial Times. “UK…

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the UK property myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.Companies renting offices, shops or warehouses will be able to negotiate cheaper deals with landlords for the first time under government plans to end the historic system of “upward-only rent reviews” for new leases in England and Wales.The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill published on Thursday includes a provision to ban clauses in commercial property leases that say rents cannot go down when a rental agreement is renewed.The clauses have been standard in Britain’s property market for decades, giving security to…

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the Cyber Security myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.Four people have been arrested in connection with the cyber attacks on British retailers Marks and Spencer, Co-Op and Harrods, UK police said on Thursday.The National Crime Agency said that the four — three men and a woman — were apprehended on suspicion of organising the attacks in April that cost the retailers millions of pounds.The four were arrested at their homes in the West Midlands and London. Two of the men are 19, while another is aged 17 and the woman…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.You do not turn to the Fiscal Risks report of the Office for Budget Responsibility for comic relief. It is generally a sobering look ahead. If there has ever been an “actually guys, it’s all good” report, I must have been washing my hair that day.Tuesday was a triumph of the genre. The risks to the public finances are “daunting” with “substantial erosion” of the UK’s capacity to respond to future shocks. The OBR’s core points are broadly known. The levels of…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The UK parliament’s intelligence and security committee has warned that Iran poses a “persistent and unpredictable” risk to Britain, highlighting the threat from Tehran towards UK-based dissidents and Jewish people.The Iran security report, whose publication was delayed due to last year’s general election, called on the British government to strengthen measures to counter Tehran’s influence.“Iran poses a wide-ranging, persistent and unpredictable threat to the UK, UK nationals and UK interests,” said Lord Beamish, chair of the committee.“We highlight in particular our concern…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Royal Mail will end Saturday deliveries of second-class letters later this month, after Britain’s media regulator Ofcom approved a shake-up of the UK’s struggling universal postal service.Second-class letters will be delivered on alternate weekdays from July 28, while first-class mail will still be delivered six days a week. The cuts could save the postal group between £250mn and £425mn a year, the regulator said. “These changes are in the best interests of consumers and businesses, as urgent reform of the postal service…

This article is an on-site version of our Inside Politics newsletter. Subscribers can sign up here to get the newsletter delivered every weekday. If you’re not a subscriber, you can still receive the newsletter free for 30 daysGood morning. Jake Berry, former Conservative party chair and the former MP for Rossendale and Darwen, has defected to Reform. I know, I know: quite a few of you are thinking “Stephen, who the hell is Jake Berry, and why should I care?” But bear with me: some thoughts on why this actually is a significant moment in today’s note. Inside Politics is…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are in the final stages of agreeing a reciprocal migrants return deal to be announced at the end of the French President’s state visit on Thursday.Senior British officials said details and wording of the agreement were still being hashed out, including during late-night talks on Wednesday, but that both sides were moving towards a final agreement.The FT first reported in March that discussions were taking place between France and the UK over a “one in, one…

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the UK energy myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.The UK government has confirmed it will ditch a controversial plan to split Britain’s wholesale electricity market into zones, which could have resulted in the south of England paying more for electricity than Scotland. Ministers announced on Thursday they would not push ahead with so-called zonal pricing, ending a long-running debate that has divided the energy industry. The proposals were part of a package of potential reforms to the electricity market that has been considered in government for several years to try…