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Lucy Fisher

@lucyfisher.ft.com
27K followers 431 following 441 posts

Whitehall editor at the Financial Times 🗞️ Host of the FT’s award-winning ‘Political Fix’ podcast🎙️Author 📚

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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 5h
NEW: There are “strong indications that Iran played a part” in the RAF Fairford incident, Andy Burnham says UK is working w/ US on the matter, which “remains an ongoing, complex & serious police investigation” PM confirms Rubio claim’s claim about role of a state actor www.ft.com/content/bb55...
ft.com
‘Strong indications’ Iran was involved in RAF Fairford incident, says Andy Burnham
Prime minister says UK is working closely with US administration following release of five suspects on bail
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 29/09/2026
Breaking: Burnham announces he will set out what the "different options are for Britain’s long-term relationship with our European partners" later this year. "We will not give Britain the clear path we need into the rest of this century until we decide...
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 29/09/2026
We’re recording Political Fix *live* at Labour conference later after Burnham’s speech! Biz sec Johnny Reynolds is our special guest on the pod If you’re in Liverpool & fancy listening in, come along to the inHouse lounge for 5.30pm Stephen Bush, Jen Williams & George Parker are on the panel 🎙️📻🎧
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Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 28/09/2026
Just in: The five men arrested near RAF Fairford over a suspected terrorist plot were all UK nationals in their twenties living in London, Counter Terrorism Policing said on Monday. ft.trib.al/ysSl5Ys
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 28/09/2026
Miliband has pledged that “no tech titan will stand in our way” as the govt prepares to lead global efforts “to manage AI” during Britain’s G20 presidency next year www.ft.com/content/7761...
ft.com
Labour conference live: John Healey gives first party speech as UK chancellor
Speech to party members comes a month before high-stakes Budget
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 28/09/2026
John Healey to promise ‘new age of industrialisation’ with £6bn Royal Navy plan Chxwill pledge that work on building three new floating docks on the Clyde in Scotland will be carried out by British firms www.ft.com/content/46c3...
ft.com
Healey to promise ‘new age of industrialisation’ with £6bn Royal Navy plan
Chancellor will pledge that work on building three new floating docks on the Clyde in Scotland will be carried out by British firms
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 25/09/2026
👀 Andy Burnham is under mounting pressure to signal he could drop Labour’s “red lines” preventing Britain from moving closer to the EU, as party figures debate whether he should address the issue in his party conference speech next week. www.ft.com/content/a161...
ft.com
Andy Burnham under pressure to signal shift on Labour’s EU ‘red lines’
Prime minister’s team taking soundings on whether party should move UK closer to Europe
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 23/09/2026
How could Chx John Healey raise tax in the Budget? Examining the for/against cases for increasing capital gains, pensions, companies & property taxation www.ft.com/content/dffc...
ft.com
How could John Healey raise tax in the Budget?
Given the restrictions imposed on him by Labour’s manifesto, the chancellor has limited options available to bring in money
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 22/09/2026
Last week we revealed the UK is in talks to join the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB) - with one of the options being a merger of it with the Multilateral Defence Mechanism (MDM). Andy Burnham confirmed today that such discussions are underway, while speaking in NY
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Chris Cook @chriscook.news · 21/09/2026
A big new story from us: a big new leak means that we can put numbers on the scale of A7 -- the Kremlin's huge money-laundering machine. $6.9bn laundered through the international banking system via SWIFT, with $1.1bn sent to StanChart alone. www.ft.com/content/3848...
ft.com
Kremlin-backed forgery scheme moved $6.9bn through global banks
FT finds thousands of Russian payments handled by Standard Chartered, Citigroup and other international groups in vast leak from inside fintech A7
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 22/09/2026
EXC: AI staff complain of mental toll over fears of threat of society Multiple staff at Britain’s AI Security Institute (AISI) have been signed off work with stress and are undergoing counselling, acc to people familiar with the matter www.ft.com/content/6087...
ft.com
AI staff complain of mental toll over fears of threat to society
Top researchers at Aisi, OpenAI, Anthropic and Google DeepMind report burnout and stress over developing powerful AI
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 21/09/2026
Later this autumn Political Fix will be recorded on the bridge of the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales Delighted the FT is the inaugural media partner for Atlantic Future Forum, the UK govt-led international summit for defence, security & tech leaders www.atlanticfutureforum.com
atlanticfutureforum.com
Atlantic Future Forum
Atlantic Future Forum
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Robert Smith @bondhack.ft.com · 17/09/2026
Ben Delo is many things: a crypto billionaire, a Reform mega-donor and a free speech advocate. @oilsheppard.bsky.social and I discovered he's also the landlord of a bankrupt academic after funding her failed libel claim against a Jewish artist who complained of antisemism www.ft.com/content/21aa...
ft.com
Reform UK’s mega-donor backed a friend’s libel claim. Now he controls her home
Crypto billionaire Ben Delo loaned more than £300,000 to former academic Nina Power
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 16/09/2026
Delighted to be shortlisted for Political Journalist of the Year, in a list of such amazing reporters & great to see fantastic FT colleagues shortlisted across other categories too www.societyofeditors.org/events/media...
societyofeditors.org
Shortlist 2026 – Society of Editors
Society of Editors. Protecting the freedom of the news media
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 16/09/2026
EXCL: US defence giant and German military start-up are joining forces to deploy autonomous “land drones” aimed at transforming the British Army’s beleaguered Ajax armoured fighting vehicles www.ft.com/content/3c38...
ft.com
UK looks to ‘land drones’ to transform beleaguered Ajax fighting vehicles
Collaboration between General Dynamics and ARX Robotics aimed at making armoured vehicles more lethal in war zones
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Gina Neff @ginasue.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
There is something off about this NYT photo on AI development that I can't quite put my finger on.
A screenshot, all dudes.
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Tony Tassell @tonytassell.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
the Revolut hack story is quite something www.ft.com/content/97f3...
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 15/09/2026
EXCL: UK ‘actively’ exploring joining Canada-led global defence bank British officials examining proposals for UK to join the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB) under Burnham, after proposal was rejected by Starmer W/ @pickardje.bsky.social & Ilya Gridneff www.ft.com/content/4e14...
ft.com
UK ‘actively’ exploring joining Canada-led global defence bank
The DSRB aims to provide low-cost financing for military initiatives
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 15/09/2026
Tories v sceptical about the mechanism govt will use to avoid pensioners having to fill in tax returns “Reeves promised ‘a simple workaround’ last November. Ten months on there is still no mechanism in place,” said one Tory figure, warning it “doesn't really give pensioners much peace of mind”
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 15/09/2026
NEW - Pensions minister Torsten Bell confirms that pensioners who ‘just exceed’ personal allowance when state pension rises WON'T have to pay small amounts of tax this parliament “In line with the commitment made at Budget 2025, pensioners who only just exceed the personal allowance will not...
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 11/09/2026
AI: Is Britain prepared? On Political Fix this week the FT’s AI editor Madhu Murgia, @robertshrimsley.bsky.social, @greenmirandahere.bsky.social & I discuss tech doomerism, the UK-Israel reset, and the Met police probe into Reform… Out now! 🎙️📻🎧
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Miranda Green @greenmirandahere.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
To explain P-doom and the AI extinction scares Madhumita Murgia joined @lucyfisher.ft.com on Pol Fix this week with @robertshrimsley.bsky.social and I sitting quaking beside her - a great expert witness www.ft.com/content/4fcc...
ft.com
AI: Is Britain prepared?
Plus, Burnham breaks with Starmer over Israel
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 10/09/2026
EXCL: Lindy Cameron, UK high commissioner to India, is set to become first female perm sec at the Foreign Office, @FT told Cameron, an ex-chief exec of the National Cyber Security Centre, beat Karen Pierce and Barbara Woodward in the final round www.ft.com/content/360d...
ft.com
Foreign Office to appoint first female head after Mandelson turmoil
Lindy Cameron becomes top civil servant at the department that was rocked by the sacking of predecessor Olly Robbins
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 10/09/2026
EXC: Dorchester hotel to sell Qatari sheikh’s car over unpaid £460,000 bill www.ft.com/content/031b...
ft.com
The Dorchester hotel to sell Qatari sheikh’s car over unpaid £460,000 bill
Member of ruling family ran up debt at Mayfair institution equivalent to stay of up to several months
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 09/09/2026
Andy Burnham was challenged on our FT scoop about Anthropic by Lib Dem leader Ed Davey at PMQs today The PM warned AI ‘poses risks to our national security’, but insisted it ‘could also be the source of solutions’
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 09/09/2026
BREAKING: British man charged under the National Security Act on suspicion of assisting Russian intelligence The 31-year-old male was arrested in Swindon last week and has been charged by CPS with assisting a foreign intelligence service and 'preparatory conduct' against the law
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 09/09/2026
EXC: McLaren will create 1k jobs in the UK as part of a £450mn investment in its technology centre in Woking, in a boost to the country’s struggling automotive industry www.ft.com/content/6f71...
ft.com
McLaren to create 1,000 UK jobs in product overhaul
Carmaker will give boost to automotive sector as part of £450mn investment in its Woking technology centre
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 09/09/2026
EXC: Anthropic declined to submit its latest model to Britain’s AI Security Institute for testing before release, the first time a major model withheld from AISI Move has prompted fears in UK govt that tech firms are falling into line with Trump admin’s AI protectionism www.ft.com/content/560e...
ft.com
Anthropic withheld latest AI model from UK testing agency
Decision to exclude Aisi has prompted fears inside British government of protectionist shift among tech groups
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 08/09/2026
NEW: Britain announces trade ban on goods and some services linked to illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank Plus accuses settlers of “ethnically cleansing” Palestinians in parts of the territory, in a major reset of UK-Israeli relations www.ft.com/content/990e...
ft.com
UK announces import ban on goods linked to Israeli settlements in West Bank
Action planned against companies and individuals involved in settlement expansion, Miliband tells MPs
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 05/09/2026
This ‘back to school week’ in Westminster has been so busy we’ve had to record *two* episodes of Political Fix! In the latest, we discuss Reform battling scandal - again - with @oilsheppard.bsky.social, who brought us the latest from their conference in B’ham open.spotify.com/episode/7M0Z...
open.spotify.com
Reform in hot water … again
Political Fix · Episode
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 02/09/2026
Kemi Badenoch sharpens her attack on Andy Burnham as a “people pleaser” with weak leadership skills and a 1970s-obsessed politician “living in the past”. Tory leader has sought to regain front foot at the start of the parliamentary term, incl via her frontbench shake up www.ft.com/content/c939...
ft.com
Badenoch sharpens her attack on Burnham by calling him the ‘people pleaser’
Tory leader persists with her pugilistic strategy in the House of Commons after shaking up her top team
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 02/09/2026
An honour to be at the unveiling of the Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum this evening with King Charles III, Emmanuel Macron and Andy Burnham Merci beaucoup to the Franco-British Council More on Burnham and Macron's first meeting, plus their bilat at No 10 tomo 👇 www.ft.com/content/3188...
ft.com
Andy Burnham and Emmanuel Macron meet as Bayeux Tapestry unveiled
UK and French leaders join King Charles at the British Museum to view the 70-metre embroidered linen cloth
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 18/08/2026
EXC: UK examines economic hit from potential loss of access to frontier AI models Urgent Whitehall assessment comes after Donald Trump blocked foreign national access to Anthropic’s Fable 5 www.ft.com/content/418e...
ft.com
UK examines economic hit from loss of access to frontier AI models
Urgent assessment comes after Donald Trump blocked foreign national access to Anthropic’s Fable 5
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 18/08/2026
EXC: Top UK civil servant received record £500,000 payout after Starmer sacking Starmer personally signed off the settlement for Sir Chris Wormald after he became shortest-serving cabinet secretary when axed in Feb Via @georgewparker.bsky.social & me 👇 www.ft.com/content/6913...
ft.com
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 17/08/2026
EXC: UK govt to pay KPMG and EY up to £456mn to train civil servants on skills, including AI Tory shadow chx Mel Stride has hit out at Labour’s “empty words” on cutting consultancy spend
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 14/08/2026
On Newsnight shortly discussing Clacton result, Farage, Burnham and more With @liamthorp.bsky.social, Giles Dilnot and Paddy O’Connell
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 14/08/2026
Britain is cutting direct aid by more than 40% to a raft of fragile and conflict-hit states incl South Sudan, Somalia & Afghanistan Overall, Foreign Office appeared to reduce its total intl development spending last year by more than double its initial forecast www.ft.com/content/ef45...
ft.com
Fragile states in Africa and Middle East hit by more than 40% cut in UK direct aid
Campaigners sound alarm over cuts to development spending pushed through to fund defence investment
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 14/08/2026
Parliamentary investigation into Nigel Farage resumes after Reform UK leader’s Clacton win www.ft.com/content/1bc8...
ft.com
Investigation into Nigel Farage resumes after he wins Clacton by-election
Reform UK leader increases number of votes after mainstream parties shunned poll as stunt
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 12/08/2026
Why Andy Burnham could be tempted by an early election gamble My Inside Politics column today www.ft.com/content/c4c5...
ft.com
Why Andy Burnham could be tempted by an early election gamble
A bold move to seek a fresh mandate seems underpriced to me, even though the risks are formidable
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 12/08/2026
Who runs Britain? Can't wait to discuss this essential question with Jess Phillips, Anthony Seldon and Hannah White at Cheltenham Literature Festival in Oct... It's going to be lively! More info on tickets & brilliant festival line-up 👇 #CheltLitFest www.cheltenhamfestivals.org/events/who-r...
cheltenhamfestivals.org
Who Runs Britain? | Cheltenham Festivals
The FT's Whitehall Editor Lucy Fisher is joined by campaigning MP Jess Phillips, historian and author Anthony Seldon and the Institute for Government’s Han
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 11/08/2026
Clacton by-election: what you need to know Great fun to appear on the Spectator's Coffee House Shots podcast earlier, teeing up the by-election on Thurs podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/c...
podcasts.apple.com
Clacton by-election: what you need to know
Podcast Episode · Coffee House Shots · 11 August · 14min
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 07/08/2026
Will Farage’s gamble pay off? On Political Fix this week @robertshrimsley.bsky.social, @annasophiegross.bsky.social & I discuss the Clacton by-election next Thurs and Reform’s wider fortunes Plus, lessons from Badenoch’s backing for a reformed neo-Nazi podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/w...
podcasts.apple.com
Will Farage’s gamble pay off?
Podcast Episode · Political Fix · 7 August · 43min
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 07/08/2026
‘I’ll support him all the way’: Clacton voters rally to Nigel Farage despite heightened scrutiny My dispatch from the Essex seat ahead of the by-election next week 👇 www.ft.com/content/8e48...
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 04/08/2026
Foreign secretary Ed Miliband will travel to Washington tomorrow to discuss the Strait of Hormuz, Ukraine and Gaza with his US counterpart Marco Rubio, as he seeks to move beyond past criticism of Donald Trump and build ties with the president’s team www.ft.com/content/bea0...
ft.com
‘Two very different characters’: Miliband and Rubio to meet in Washington
Foreign secretary to discuss Strait of Hormuz, Ukraine and Gaza with US counterpart
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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Interesting - with contribution from @drbenpaxton.bsky.social
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 04/08/2026
EXC: UK govt is “stripping back” onerous public procurement rules in pro-growth shake up of system, Louise Haigh tells FT Overhaul will make job creation/skills development the only ‘social value’ requirement for biz competing for Whitehall contracts worth £90bn annually www.ft.com/content/9878...
ft.com
UK to strip back procurement rules to focus on job creation, says Louise Haigh
Burnham’s de facto deputy PM says requirements for businesses vying for Whitehall contracts will be streamlined
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 25/07/2026
John Healey is under mounting pressure to raise taxes or find fresh savings as new spending commitments and Iran war threaten to shrink the new chx’s fiscal buffer to as little as £7bn Headroom has shrunk by more than two-thirds since March, when it was official forecast at £23.6bn
ft.com
John Healey under pressure to raise taxes or cut UK spending as fiscal headroom shrinks
US-Iran war and new spending commitments threaten to cut buffer to as little as £7bn, economists estimate
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Andy Gibson (@AndyGibsonTV) / InformingBritain.com @informingbritain.com · 24/07/2026
"IRAN WAR NARROWS HEALEY'S OPTIONS" #DelphineStrauss / @LucyFisher.FT.com / @IanKMSmith.FT.com for @FinancialTimes.com #IranWar pressures are shrinking Chancellor #JohnHealey’s fiscal options and squeezing the government’s buffer. #FTWeekend #TomorrowsPapersToday
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 24/07/2026
Can ‘Brand Burnham’ survive the move to No 10? The new PM appears determined to break the mould of traditional political leaders - and there is freshness to his image... but could it wear thin over time?
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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 24/07/2026
How Andy Burnham’s rise to PM was helped by those axed by Starmer List of people sacked or cast out includes Louise Haigh, Lucy Powell and Anneliese Midgley, some of new PM’s most powerful allies www.ft.com/content/f46b...
ft.com
How Andy Burnham’s rise to PM was helped by those axed by Starmer
List of people sacked or cast aside includes Louise Haigh, Lucy Powell and Anneliese Midgley, some of new premier’s most powerful allies
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