Author: Blake Anderson

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.UK consumer confidence plunged in April to the lowest level in well over a year as concerns over Donald Trump’s global trade war and rising living costs hit household sentiment. The GfK consumer confidence index — a measure of how people view their personal finances and broader economic prospects — fell four points to minus 23 in April, the research group said on Friday.The drop from March wiped out gains so far this year and took the reading to its lowest point…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Householders with large gardens or swimming pools in England and Wales should be charged more for using water, the utility industry will say in its submission to a review into reform of the sector.Water UK, which represents the 16 water and sewage companies in England and Wales, told the Financial Times that it would call for water metering to be made compulsory and a reform of charging methods. At present water meters are compulsory only in areas that are designated “water-stressed”, such…

The UK must expand its military footprint in the Arctic and High North as the region becomes increasingly contested owing to melting sea ice opening up access, the government’s defence review is set to advise.The document is expected to call for significant investment in drones and cutting-edge technology, against a backdrop of a new era of state conflict, according to people familiar with it.The review will affirm the UK’s “Nato first” approach to defence, prioritising the security of Britain’s own backyard in the Euro-Atlantic area and fulfilling obligations to the alliance. John Healey, defence secretary, has previously been scornful of…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The UK Ministry of Defence has successfully trialled a new type of electronic weapon to combat drones that has potential implications for modern battlefields, including in Ukraine. The “RapidDestroyer” is designed by a consortium led by French defence conglomerate Thales, and uses a high-power radio frequency to disable or fry electronics in drones at a distance.  Two swarms of eight drones were neutralised by the weapon in a recent trial, the MoD announced on Thursday, while “the project saw more than 100 drones being…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.British advertisers have cut their budgets for the first time in four years as the prospect of a trade war hit confidence in the global economy among major consumer brands, according to an industry trade body. Advertising budgets shrunk in the first quarter of the year, the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising said on Thursday, as UK companies held back on spending due to tariff fears and concerns about weakening consumer confidence. Close to a quarter of companies included in the IPA’s…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The British and French governments are in talks about a migrant returns agreement that would involve one person being deported from the UK in exchange for France sending another individual the other way, amid hopes the arrangement could be expanded into a broader European initiative.British and French officials are in early discussions about a pilot scheme under which a small number of irregular migrants who come across the English Channel to the UK would be sent back to France.British officials said the…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The vast majority of UK consumers plan to “buy British” over concerns that imported products will surge in price after Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, according to data that underlines the impact of the US president’s trade war. Some 71 per cent of people said they wanted to support UK businesses by buying more items that were “Made in Britain”, after Trump imposed a 10 per cent tax on British imports this month, Barclays said on Tuesday.About two-thirds of consumers were concerned that…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The NHS is partnering with UK life sciences company Scancell to do clinical trials of an ambitious new vaccine to treat skin cancer, as the government seeks to boost Britain’s position as a global leader in drug research.Patients with advanced melanoma — the fifth most common cancer in the UK — will be able to join a study of a DNA vaccine that scientists hope will improve the efficacy of drugs known as immunotherapy. About half of patients do not respond to immunotherapy,…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The Financial Conduct Authority has said that banks and buildings societies should do more to help customers in vulnerable circumstances, such as those affected by bereavement or registering a power of attorney. The financial regulator said that moves made by banks such as resolving cases quickly and breaking from normal procedure when needed were welcome, but that elsewhere, some staff had failed to recognise when customers were exhibiting noticeable distress or upset, potentially causing further harm.“In some cases, this meant some individuals…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Ministers have hailed a multi-billion-pound Universal theme park in Bedford as a “vote of confidence” in the UK as the government searches for good news to offset a gloom-ridden first few months of 2025.On Wednesday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will confirm that he has closed a deal to secure a new theme park in Bedfordshire that will bring an estimated £50bn boost for the economy after months of negotiations. The government will commit to a major investment in infrastructure around the site…