Party looks north as it prepares for its annual conference

The new PM believes too much money is invested in London and the South, writes Chris Blackhurst. But, to change Treasury orthodoxy, he needs to do one important thing – find some cash

Party looks north as it prepares for its annual conference

The approval of one in London’s Brick Lane is the latest of the many colossal data centres mushrooming across the country — but will a backlash halt the march of AI? Chris Blackhurst reports

After an unexpected borrowing surge during the prime minister’s first month in office, the coming Budget must not only curb runaway government spending, but also Burnham’s enthusiasm for saying yes to...

Whacking a 5 per cent tourist tax on top of hotel rooms that are already charged 20 per cent VAT flies in the face of attempts to help the hospitality industry, writes Chris Blackhurst. Devolution sho...

UK monarch steps into dispute over technology by hosting summit with industry leaders

The approval of one in London’s Brick Lane is the latest of the many colossal data centres mushrooming across the country — but will a backlash halt the march of AI? Chris Blackhurst reports

As he arrives in Europe to push ahead with plans for a ‘unique alliance’, the Canadian PM seems to be annoying all the right people, says Chris Blackhurst

The prime minister wants to harness the joint power of universities, industry and government to turbocharge the economy, writes Chris Blackhurst. It has worked in Manchester – but is not a panacea for...

The environment secretary has encouraged Brits to stockpile food and water to deal with looming extreme weather, writes Chris Blackhurst. Our inability to produce our own food should be a priority for...

The beleagured Reform UK leader put on a Trumpian show complete with fireworks but offered little substance did cannot escape the screamers of the scrutiny, says Chris Blackhurst

Potential for swift election means opposition parties need to make urgent inroads against new prime minister

Banishing the shadow of his predecessor, the new prime minister’s more personable, nimbler style seemed to flummox the leader of the opposition, says Chris Blackhurst

The new head boy had revised some big ideas for the despatch box – ‘triple helix approach to economic development’, anyone? – but his biggest enemy is a British political climate that is addicted to c...

At a time when the world is facing significant crises in almost every sphere, why is Andy Burnham focusing on cowboy builders – and world leaders responding with a collective shrug, asks Chris Blackhu...

In a world where the algorithm comes first and attention rules, what rises to the surface? Chris Blackhurst presents an answer in the form of a man’s business suffering off the back of hateful videos ...

As pressure grows for a ‘Leveson 2’ inquiry, amid claims that press coverage contributed to the Cambridge professor’s death, the unregulated online town squares are packed with pitchforks and flaming ...

New UK Prime Minister seems to have an opinion on everything, but does he have solutions?

Young people receiving their results this week should be rightly proud of their achievements, writes Chris Blackhurst. But the era of mass participation in higher education – and the funds to support ...

The Reform UK leader faces more hurdles over alleged financial irregularities, but he cannot be written off

Unlike hospitality in general, the capital’s stadiums are powering an economy that’s the envy of the world, reports Chris Blackhurst

Failure to persuade two key men to join his team is regarded as a blow

The prime minister’s crack down on vape and barber shops in a bid to boost British high streets gets key things wrong about how we fix the country, says Chris Blackhurst

Meta’s vast wealth – and governments’ uncertainty about regulating social media – have led it to be overconfident. But, writes Chris Blackhurst, the hubris of the tobacco industry should have warned t...

Foreign takeovers account for 86 per cent of the mergers announced in the UK this year - and the hunting season's not over yet

From universities to artificial intelligence, we have created a culture that rewards confidence, reputation and appearance. The question is whether we still value truth, says Chris Blackhurst

Successive prime ministers tell us that the UK is a digital economy up there with the world’s best. But Andy Burnham needs to face facts and fix the tech problems we encounter every day if he’s seriou...

For a launch of a new social care policy, there was precious little policy – which speaks volumes about Andy Burnham, says Chris Blackhurst

As the number of millionaires in the UK plummets to its lowest level since the 2008 financial crisis, Chris Blackhurst says the government must not be tempted by the siren call of wealth taxes

While there is a new focus on younger people not in education, employment or training, there needs to be urgent attention on those in midlife who are out of work and still have over 10 years until the...

Getting to the bottom of what drives Andy Burnham most potent pick

In an open letter to John Healey, Chris Blackhurst sets out why the new occupant of No 11 should seriously consider a ‘Robin Hood tax’ – a £500,000 annual wealth charge that would make Britain a magne...

Predictability is more important than politics for those concerned about the profit and loss account

The neglected site seemed destined to become a sterile new development — but after a hard-fought campaign by local artists, it will be reborn as a creative hub, writes Chris Blackhurst

The prime minister’s Downing Street arrival had all the hallmarks of a student radical’s first day at uni – complete with a heartfelt but ultimately doomed pledge to end rough sleeping, says Chris Bla...

Rise of franchise cricket with an Indian flavour will take London by storm next week

With three in four jobs in finance and the creative industries at risk of being replaced by AI automation, we need to continue to push apprenticeships in plumbing, rather than a degree, as something t...

The incoming Labour leader is supposed to have done a Cambridge English degree – you wouldn’t know it on this evidence, say Chris Blackhurst

At his farewell PMQs, the prime minister could have written the short list of his achievements on the back of his hand, but at least he left them laughing, finally knowing what it’s like to feel popul...

If the Treasury wants to put people off saving for pensions altogether, it is going the right way about it, says Chris Blackhurst

The British economy needs to attract investment – but we should not be willing to bend the rule of law to get it, writes Chris Blackhurst

The case of the Reform leader is just the latest in a seemingly never-ending series of financial scandals in politics. It’s time the system was cleaned up – and fast, writes Chris Blackhurst

ITV joins a long line of 'valuable UK assets' courted by international buyers

As the duke’s multimillion-pound lawsuit against the Daily Mail lands him with a mountainous costs bill, there is one victor – and it is not Prince Harry, says Chris Blackhurst

He may be its ‘King’, but Andy Burnham should stop going on about it, writes Chris Blackhurst. That approach is both economically and politically naive – and will alienate at least as many people as i...

The current energy secretary and former Labour leader knows how to talk the talk with business leaders – and is a much smarter politician than he’s given credit for, writes Chris Blackhurst

While we should praise this gesture at transparency, the Royals need to go a lot further, faster, to satisfy the public mood, says Chris Blackhurst

Country faces mounting crises as Labour's leadership contest delays urgent decision-making

It is a decade on from a referendum that promised lower migration, more money for the NHS and boom time for the economy – and the country is still paying a heavy price, writes Chris Blackhurst