Westminster reckons with HS2's triple cost as fuel and migration data turn
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed in the Commons on Monday that HS2 will cost £87.7-102.7 billion and enter service between 2036 and 2039, more than double the 2012 envelope of £37.2 billion. EasyJet booked a £552 million half-year loss as Iran-war fuel costs hit budget carriers; Brussels criticised London for exempting jet fuel and diesel from a Russian-oil-product import ban; net migration in 2025 fell to 171,000, the lowest since 2012; and UK business activity contracted for the first time in over a year.
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gb95UK resets HS2: cost rises to £87.7-102.7 billion, London-Birmingham service delayed to 2036
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander announced a reset of the HS2 high-speed rail project in the Commons on Monday, putting the estimated cost of the London-Birmingham line at between £87.7 and £102.7 billion (€101.1-118.4 billion) and slipping service entry to 2036 from the original 2026 target. The final segment between Old Oak Common in the outer capital and Euston in central London will not open before 2040, according to the report by HS2 Ltd chief executive Mark Wild after a fifteen-month review. The project was launched in 2012 at an original budget of £37.2 billion; the Manchester and Leeds extensions were cut in 2021 and 2023, and French group Vinci, through joint ventures and its Taylor Woodrow subsidiary, builds a 90-kilometre Midlands section, Old Oak Common station and a Birmingham depot.
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UK resets HS2: cost rises to £87.7-102.7 billion, London-Birmingham service delayed to 2036
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander announced a reset of the HS2 high-speed rail project in the Commons on Monday, putting the estimated cost of the London-Birmingham line at between £87.7 and £102.7 billion (€101.1-118.4 billion) and slipping service entry to 2036 from the original 2026 target. The final segment between Old Oak Common in the outer capital and Euston in central London will not open before 2040, according to the report by HS2 Ltd chief executive Mark Wild after a fifteen-month review. The project was launched in 2012 at an original budget of £37.2 billion; the Manchester and Leeds extensions were cut in 2021 and 2023, and French group Vinci, through joint ventures and its Taylor Woodrow subsidiary, builds a 90-kilometre Midlands section, Old Oak Common station and a Birmingham depot.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander announced a reset of the HS2 high-speed rail project in the Commons on Monday, putting the estimated cost of the London-Birmingham line at between £87.7 and £102.7 billion (€101.1-118.4 billion) and slipping service entry to 2036 from the original 2026 target. The final segment between Old Oak Common in the outer capital and Euston in central London will not open before 2040, according to the report by HS2 Ltd chief executive Mark Wild after a fifteen-month review. The project was launched in 2012 at an original budget of £37.2 billion; the Manchester and Leeds extensions were cut in 2021 and 2023, and French group Vinci, through joint ventures and its Taylor Woodrow subsidiary, builds a 90-kilometre Midlands section, Old Oak Common station and a Birmingham depot.
gb90EasyJet reports £552m loss, summer bookings down amid Middle East conflict
EasyJet reported a £552m pre-tax loss for the six months to March 31, compared with a £394m loss a year earlier, as the Middle East conflict weighed on consumer confidence and fuel costs. The budget carrier said summer holiday bookings are behind last year’s pace, with passengers waiting until the month of departure to book. Chief Executive Kenton Jarvis said the airline has no plans to cut summer flights and urged European airports to use flexibility granted by the European Commission to ease border queues.
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EasyJet reports £552m loss, summer bookings down amid Middle East conflict
EasyJet reported a £552m pre-tax loss for the six months to March 31, compared with a £394m loss a year earlier, as the Middle East conflict weighed on consumer confidence and fuel costs. The budget carrier said summer holiday bookings are behind last year’s pace, with passengers waiting until the month of departure to book. Chief Executive Kenton Jarvis said the airline has no plans to cut summer flights and urged European airports to use flexibility granted by the European Commission to ease border queues.
EasyJet reported a £552m pre-tax loss for the six months to March 31, compared with a £394m loss a year earlier, as the Middle East conflict weighed on consumer confidence and fuel costs. The budget carrier said summer holiday bookings are behind last year’s pace, with passengers waiting until the month of departure to book. Chief Executive Kenton Jarvis said the airline has no plans to cut summer flights and urged European airports to use flexibility granted by the European Commission to ease border queues.
gb85EU economy chief criticizes UK for surprise rollback of Russia sanctions on jet fuel and diesel
The EU’s economy commissioner criticized the UK on Thursday for issuing a sanctions licence exempting jet fuel and diesel from a new import ban on oil products made from Russian crude, without prior notice to G7 allies. Valdis Dombrovskis said the move “came as a surprise” and that now is “not the time to roll back sanctions against Russia.” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the decision as a short-term measure to protect consumers, while Trade Minister Chris Bryant apologized for communication failures.
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EU economy chief criticizes UK for surprise rollback of Russia sanctions on jet fuel and diesel
The EU’s economy commissioner criticized the UK on Thursday for issuing a sanctions licence exempting jet fuel and diesel from a new import ban on oil products made from Russian crude, without prior notice to G7 allies. Valdis Dombrovskis said the move “came as a surprise” and that now is “not the time to roll back sanctions against Russia.” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the decision as a short-term measure to protect consumers, while Trade Minister Chris Bryant apologized for communication failures.
The EU’s economy commissioner criticized the UK on Thursday for issuing a sanctions licence exempting jet fuel and diesel from a new import ban on oil products made from Russian crude, without prior notice to G7 allies. Valdis Dombrovskis said the move “came as a surprise” and that now is “not the time to roll back sanctions against Russia.” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the decision as a short-term measure to protect consumers, while Trade Minister Chris Bryant apologized for communication failures.
gb82UK net migration drops to 171,000 in 2025, lowest since 2012
Net migration to the UK fell to 171,000 in 2025, roughly half the 2024 figure and the lowest level since 2012 excluding the pandemic, the Office for National Statistics said. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood credited government policies for restoring border control, while opposition critics attributed the drop to British citizens leaving due to Labour's tax increases. The data also showed asylum claims fell 12% year-on-year to 93,525 in the 12 months to March 2026, though still more than double pre-pandemic levels.
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UK net migration drops to 171,000 in 2025, lowest since 2012
Net migration to the UK fell to 171,000 in 2025, roughly half the 2024 figure and the lowest level since 2012 excluding the pandemic, the Office for National Statistics said. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood credited government policies for restoring border control, while opposition critics attributed the drop to British citizens leaving due to Labour's tax increases. The data also showed asylum claims fell 12% year-on-year to 93,525 in the 12 months to March 2026, though still more than double pre-pandemic levels.
Net migration to the UK fell to 171,000 in 2025, roughly half the 2024 figure and the lowest level since 2012 excluding the pandemic, the Office for National Statistics said. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood credited government policies for restoring border control, while opposition critics attributed the drop to British citizens leaving due to Labour's tax increases. The data also showed asylum claims fell 12% year-on-year to 93,525 in the 12 months to March 2026, though still more than double pre-pandemic levels.
gb39UK business activity declines for first time in over a year in May
UK business activity contracted in May for the first time in more than a year, signaling a potential economic slowdown. The data reflects weakening demand and could influence monetary policy decisions.
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UK business activity declines for first time in over a year in May
UK business activity contracted in May for the first time in more than a year, signaling a potential economic slowdown. The data reflects weakening demand and could influence monetary policy decisions.
UK business activity contracted in May for the first time in more than a year, signaling a potential economic slowdown. The data reflects weakening demand and could influence monetary policy decisions.
gb36Father of detained British flotilla activist accuses UK government of inaction
Background: Israeli forces detained Hasnain Jafer, a British student leader from King's College London, along with approximately 300 activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters while attempting to breach the naval blockade on Gaza. Today: Jafer's father, Jafer Taasleem, stated that the UK government, including his local MP and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, provided no support and that the family has received no official updates since the raid. He expressed distress and called for urgent intervention. Footage posted by Israeli Interior Minister Itamar Ben Gvir showed detained activists handcuffed and forced to crouch in a holding facility, drawing international condemnation. The UK government was urged to intervene, and the issue was raised in the House of Commons. Netanyahu distanced himself from Ben Gvir's actions and ordered the activists deported as soon as possible, with expected return to Turkey.
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Father of detained British flotilla activist accuses UK government of inaction
Background: Israeli forces detained Hasnain Jafer, a British student leader from King's College London, along with approximately 300 activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters while attempting to breach the naval blockade on Gaza. Today: Jafer's father, Jafer Taasleem, stated that the UK government, including his local MP and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, provided no support and that the family has received no official updates since the raid. He expressed distress and called for urgent intervention. Footage posted by Israeli Interior Minister Itamar Ben Gvir showed detained activists handcuffed and forced to crouch in a holding facility, drawing international condemnation. The UK government was urged to intervene, and the issue was raised in the House of Commons. Netanyahu distanced himself from Ben Gvir's actions and ordered the activists deported as soon as possible, with expected return to Turkey.
Background: Israeli forces detained Hasnain Jafer, a British student leader from King's College London, along with approximately 300 activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters while attempting to breach the naval blockade on Gaza. Today: Jafer's father, Jafer Taasleem, stated that the UK government, including his local MP and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, provided no support and that the family has received no official updates since the raid. He expressed distress and called for urgent intervention. Footage posted by Israeli Interior Minister Itamar Ben Gvir showed detained activists handcuffed and forced to crouch in a holding facility, drawing international condemnation. The UK government was urged to intervene, and the issue was raised in the House of Commons. Netanyahu distanced himself from Ben Gvir's actions and ordered the activists deported as soon as possible, with expected return to Turkey.
gb35Dava Moor wildfire classified as UK's first megafire by scientists
A four-day wildfire on Dava Moor in the Scottish Highlands in June 2023 has been classified as the UK's first megafire by researchers from Stanford University and others. The fire burned nearly 12,000 hectares, releasing carbon equivalent to 85% of average annual UK wildfire emissions from 2001-2021, and burned deep peat soils that had stored carbon for millennia. The study highlights the vulnerability of UK peatlands to climate change and the need for better wildfire management.
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Dava Moor wildfire classified as UK's first megafire by scientists
A four-day wildfire on Dava Moor in the Scottish Highlands in June 2023 has been classified as the UK's first megafire by researchers from Stanford University and others. The fire burned nearly 12,000 hectares, releasing carbon equivalent to 85% of average annual UK wildfire emissions from 2001-2021, and burned deep peat soils that had stored carbon for millennia. The study highlights the vulnerability of UK peatlands to climate change and the need for better wildfire management.
A four-day wildfire on Dava Moor in the Scottish Highlands in June 2023 has been classified as the UK's first megafire by researchers from Stanford University and others. The fire burned nearly 12,000 hectares, releasing carbon equivalent to 85% of average annual UK wildfire emissions from 2001-2021, and burned deep peat soils that had stored carbon for millennia. The study highlights the vulnerability of UK peatlands to climate change and the need for better wildfire management.
gb33Wes Streeting proposes capital gains tax reform in Labour leadership bid
Background: Former UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned after losing confidence in Prime Minister Keir Starmer, warning the Labour government is losing the fight against nationalism. Today: Streeting has proposed equalizing capital gains tax (CGT) rates with income tax rates as his first major policy proposal in his Labour leadership campaign, estimating it could raise £12bn annually. The proposal includes lower rates for entrepreneurs and closing loopholes that allow income to be disguised as capital gains. He also called EU withdrawal a 'catastrophic mistake' and said the UK should 'one day' rejoin, but only if it becomes the settled will of the country.
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Wes Streeting proposes capital gains tax reform in Labour leadership bid
Background: Former UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned after losing confidence in Prime Minister Keir Starmer, warning the Labour government is losing the fight against nationalism. Today: Streeting has proposed equalizing capital gains tax (CGT) rates with income tax rates as his first major policy proposal in his Labour leadership campaign, estimating it could raise £12bn annually. The proposal includes lower rates for entrepreneurs and closing loopholes that allow income to be disguised as capital gains. He also called EU withdrawal a 'catastrophic mistake' and said the UK should 'one day' rejoin, but only if it becomes the settled will of the country.
Background: Former UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned after losing confidence in Prime Minister Keir Starmer, warning the Labour government is losing the fight against nationalism. Today: Streeting has proposed equalizing capital gains tax (CGT) rates with income tax rates as his first major policy proposal in his Labour leadership campaign, estimating it could raise £12bn annually. The proposal includes lower rates for entrepreneurs and closing loopholes that allow income to be disguised as capital gains. He also called EU withdrawal a 'catastrophic mistake' and said the UK should 'one day' rejoin, but only if it becomes the settled will of the country.