Author: Blake Anderson

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.An investment company that won a £255mn contract for protective equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic is being investigated by HM Revenue & Customs over possible under payment of tax. Tim Horlick’s Ayanda Capital is being investigated by the UK tax authority to determine whether it paid the taxes due on income it received during the pandemic, according to people familiar with the situation.Ayanda said it was “fully co-operating with HMRC’s enquiries, that are legally confidential, and has no further comment to make”. HMRC…

Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for freeYour guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the worldThe BBC will on Monday apologise for the misleading editing of a Donald Trump speech in a Panorama documentary, as the public broadcaster tries to defuse criticism that its coverage shows bias.BBC chair Samir Shah will apologise for unintentionally misleading viewers in a letter to Caroline Dinenage, chair of the House of Commons culture, media and sport committee, according to a person close to the situation.A BBC Panorama programme broadcast in October 2024 spliced together clips from separate parts of…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Down one side of Folkies music shop in Kilburn, north-west London, you can still see a yellow sign that reads “Accordions”. In the basement, you’ll find a smaller sign listing brands that used to be sold from the building – Cantori, Gallini, Luciano, Bugari: it was the capital’s go-to shop for the instrument in the early 20th century. Today you’ll still find the odd accordion in stock at Folkies, but it’s just one string to the shop’s bow. The storefront on Kilburn High Road © Karishma Puri“I like the quirky stuff and the…

With just three weeks to go until the Budget, Rachel Reeves gave a surprise speech to reset expectations on who she’s planning to hit with more taxes on November 26. This has fuelled further speculation about whether the government’s central manifesto pledge to not raise income tax rates is now doomed. Host Miranda Green is joined by FT colleagues Jim Pickard, Sam Fleming and Katie Martin to discuss the chancellor’s options: a pick’n’mix of tax rises or breaking a central pledge to the electorate. What then happens to the Labour government’s credibility, and how are the markets likely to react?…

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. I’m Simon Greaves, the FT’s film and video revise editor, standing in for Stephen before he returns from holiday on Monday. A recent YouGov poll showed Reform UK on 27 per cent, Labour and the Conservatives level-pegging on 17 per cent, with the Greens (16 per cent) and Liberal Democrats (15 per cent) tied in the margin of error. In last…

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the Social affairs myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.Culture wars and immigration tensions have deepened the political fractures revealed by Brexit, according to a study that shows 84 per cent of Britons say the UK feels divided.More than two-thirds of adults believe culture wars have split the country compared with just 46 per cent in 2020, according to research published on Friday by King’s College London’s Policy Institute and pollster Ipsos.The study reveals a growing sense of nostalgia for the past and unease about the pace of cultural change, fuelling…

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the Electric vehicles myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.Car industry executives have lashed out at UK government plans to introduce a pay-per-mile tax for electric vehicles, saying the expected move could derail an already bumpy transition away from petrol vehicles.Under one proposal being considered by chancellor Rachel Reeves, drivers of EVs could face charges of 3p per mile in addition to other road taxes, starting in 2028, according to people familiar with the matter. The average EV driver would pay an extra £250 a year, compared to about £600 a year…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The UK government is reconsidering whether to routinely test children for lead exposure following a two-year Financial Times investigation that revealed millions may be unknowingly at risk from the toxic metal.The findings — published in the latest series of the FT’s Untold podcast series, Toxic Legacy — show that lead remains present in the UK’s homes, soil, drinking water and food. Yet there is still no national strategy to monitor or reduce exposure.Decades of evidence linking lead exposure to a wide range…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.UK services activity expanded in October at a stronger pace than initially estimated as demand strengthened, according to a closely watched survey, easing concerns about the upcoming Budget’s effect on the economy.The S&P Global UK Services PMI Business Activity index rose to 52.3 in October, up from an earlier flash reading of 51.1 and well above the five-month low of 50.8 recorded in September. It was also higher than the 50 mark, which divides contraction from expansion.  “The latest survey offered some…

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the Global migration myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.Labour migration to rich countries fell by more than a fifth last year as job markets weakened and countries such as the UK tightened visa rules, according to new research by the OECD. The Paris-based organisation said permanent work-related migration to its member countries, which had risen steadily since the pandemic, fell by 21 per cent between 2023 and 2024 to 934,000 — even before Donald Trump’s return to the White House choked off inflows to the US. The drop was partly due to…