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☆ Banks get bullish on the British pound despite the possibility of an imminent snapback
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( George Bextor | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In a recent research note, experts at Goldman Sachs were upbeat on the pound, commenting that sterling "tops the list" in the G-10 basket of major currency crosses. The analysts are sticking with their bet that sterling will rise against the dollar , with a target of 1.31. "Combined with still-high rates [this] could attract capital flows into GBP after many years of being a structural sell," the UBS analysts added. She added, "The tone of many of the policies announced by the new Labour government in recent days are market friendly ... The appearance of order in the U.K. government coupled with an expectation of a warmer relationship with the EU should provide for some optimism."

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Keir Starmer's, Jane Foley Organizations: Bank of, UBS, Labour Party, FX, Labour Locations: Bank of England

☆ Britain's Labour pulled off a thumping election victory with just 34% of the national vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Vicky Mckeever | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Toby Melville | ReutersLONDON — The U.K.'s Labour Party won a huge parliamentary majority in the country's general election, but a quirk of the British electoral system means it did so with just 34% of the total votes cast. Results show that the opposition Labour Party has won 412 parliamentary seats of the total 650, with just two seats yet to be declared. This translates as roughly 63% of the total seats, but Labour has won just 34% of the total "popular" vote, while the Conservative Party has secured nearly 24% of that number. Meanwhile, smaller parties including the centrist Liberal Democrats, right-wing Reform U.K. and the Greens took nearly 43% of the popular vote but gained just less than 18% of the seats available. Unlike in other voting systems, there are no second rounds or ranking of first- and second-choice candidates, meaning it can be difficult for smaller parties to translate an increased share of the popular vote into parliamentary seats.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Victoria Starmer, Toby Melville, Gabriella Dickens, Dickens Organizations: British, Labour, Reuters LONDON, Labour Party, Conservative Party, Liberal Democrats, Greens, U.K, AXA Investment, Scottish National Party Locations: London, Britain

☆ Outgoing UK PM Rishi Sunak quits as Conservative Party leader after crushing election defeat
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( April Roach | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Outgoing Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks to the media as he leaves 10 Downing Street following Labour's landslide election victory on July 5, 2024 in London, England. Leon Neal | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesLONDON - Outgoing UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday said he will step down as the leader of the Conservative Party after the opposition Labour Party secured a landslide victory in Thursday's nationwide election. Sunak announced he will step down as the leader of the Conservative Party as soon as the formal arrangements for selecting his successor are in place. The Conservative Party suffered its lowest result, in terms of seats, in its post-war history. Keir Starmer's Labour Party won its second-largest majority after former Prime Minister Tony Blair's 179-seat majority in 1997.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Leon Neal, Sunak, King Charles III, Keir Starmer's, Tony Blair's, Grant Shapps, Penny Mordaunt Organizations: Conservative, Getty, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Downing, Labour, Keir Starmer's Labour Party, Northallerton, Commons Locations: London, England, Thursday's, Downing, United Kingdom, Richmond

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer talks at a campaign event on June 29, 2024 in London, England. LONDON — The U.K.'s opposition Labour Party is on course to win a commanding parliamentary majority in the country's general election, unseating the incumbent Conservatives after 14 years, according to exit polls released after voting closed. Millions of people across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland voted for their local representatives in the 650-member House of Commons, the U.K.'s lower house of parliament. A nationwide result will likely be declared early Friday, with Keir Starmer, leader of center-left Labour, expected to become the country's next prime minster. Political surveys have for nearly two years pointed to a large Labour victory.

Persons: Sir Keir Starmer, Keir Starmer Organizations: Labour Party, Northern Ireland, of, Labour Locations: London, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern

☆ UK election 2024: British voters head to polls for a momentous election
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-03 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —British voters are heading to the polls Thursday for a crucial general election that is being seen as a referendum on 14 years of Conservative rule. The opposition Labour party suffered its worst defeat since 1935 in the last general election, but has since rebuilt itself under the leadership of Keir Starmer. Britain has had three Conservative prime ministers since the last general election in 2019, which Boris Johnson won by a landslide. News outlets are barred from reporting anything that could influence voters while polls are opened. An exit poll from British broadcasters will project the seat totals are soon as polls shut at 10 p.m. local time (5 p.m.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Boris Johnson, Johnson, Liz Truss, Nigel Farage –, Brexit – Organizations: London CNN —, Conservative, Labour, European Union Locations: Britain, England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, British

☆ Can Keir Starmer give Britain the change it desperately wants?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Barring a major shock, Labour leader Keir Starmer will be the person walking through the famous black door of 10 Downing Street in less than three weeks’ time. His parents were political, naming their eldest after the first Labour leader in parliament, Keir Hardie. “He’s the first Labour leader in a generation to talk about class and snobbery,” Tom Baldwin, author of “Keir Starmer: The Biography,” told CNN. Jeremy Corbyn, then the Labour leader, made Starmer his Brexit chief following the 2016 referendum. Starmer, left, and then-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn talk to the media at the EU Commission headquarters on March 21, 2019 in Brussels, Belgium.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Conservative Party –, –, Keir Starmer, Starmer, John Stillwell, Keir Hardie, “, ” Tom Baldwin, “ Keir Starmer, ”, …, ” Baldwin, Jeremy Corbyn, Corbyn, Osama bin Laden, Thierry Monasse, Boris Johnson, James Schneider, Dominic Grieve, ” Grieve, Grieve, ” Starmer, Stefan Rousseau Organizations: CNN, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Labour, Downing, Great, Great British Energy, European Union, Public Prosecutions, Crown, Service of, Wales –, University of Leeds, University of Oxford, NATO, EU, Conservative, Conservatives Locations: Britain, Great British, Service of England, London, Brussels, Belgium, Lancing, West Sussex

☆ UK’s Nigel Farage sparks outrage from political opponents after saying West ‘provoked’ Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Rosa Rahimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Nigel Farage, a figurehead of the UK’s populist right, has sparked outrage from political opponents after saying the West “provoked” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “We’ve provoked this war – of course it’s his fault – he’s used what we’ve done as an excuse,” he said. Farage – a former EU parliamentarian – claimed to be “the only person in British politics” to predict the invasion of Ukraine. “I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war with Russia,” he wrote. He added that Farage has “shown that he would rather lick Vladimir Putin’s boot than stand up for the people of Ukraine.”

Persons: Nigel Farage, ”, Farage –, Brexit –, Farage, Putin, Nick Robinson, “ We’ve, –, “, “ Putin, Rishi Sunak, ” James, Ben Wallace, John Healey, Vladimir Organizations: CNN, BBC, NATO, European Union, ”, Conservative, Labour Locations: Ukraine, Brexit, EU, Russia, ”

☆ Want your child to go to Eton? Get ready to pay $13,000 more each year
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

London CNN —Private schools in Britain may conjure up images of rolling lawns, pristine tennis courts, and dormitory rooms, serving as gilded hothouses of privilege. Not every private school is “synonymous with privilege and great wealth,” argues Sue Hannam, headteacher at Lichfield Cathedral School, a private school in central England. About 620,000 children are currently enrolled in private schools in Britain, equivalent to almost 6% of all school children, according to the Independent Schools Council. Hodge at the Education Policy Institute noted that, accounting for inflation, private school fees had risen by as much as 25% since 2010. Still, a demographic shift means state schools may “welcome” the influx, Sibieta wrote last year.

Persons: YouGov, ”, Sue Hannam, “ We’ve, …, they’re, —, Hannam, John Keates, we’ve, Keir Starmer, “, ” Starmer, Louis Hodge, that’s, Loveena Tandon, … it’ll, it’s, Julie Robinson, they’ll, Robinson, ” Robinson, Christine Cunniffe, ” Cunniffe, Hodge, That’s, he, ” Luke Sibieta, Oli Scarff, Sibieta Organizations: London CNN — Private, Eton College, Labour Party, Eton, Labour, Lichfield Cathedral School, CNN, Lichfield, Independent Schools, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Sky News, Education Policy Institute, ISC, Ascot, Education, Institute, Getty Locations: Britain, Lichfield, England, United Kingdom, Lichfield , United Kingdom, London, “, Manchester, AFP

☆ Britain’s embattled ruling party roiled by election-related gambling scandal
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Britain’s governing Conservative Party has been rocked by a gambling scandal in the middle of the campaign for an election that it is expected to lose. The UK’s PA Media news agency reported on Thursday that Conservative candidate Laura Saunders is facing a gambling watchdog investigation into alleged betting offenses. Prior to standing as a candidate, Saunders worked for the Conservative Party. A Conservative spokesperson told CNN in a statement: “We have been contacted by the Gambling Commission about a small number of individuals. It would be the first time Labour has entered power from opposition since 1997 and would end 14 years of controversial government by the Conservative Party.

Persons: Laura Saunders, Saunders, Tony Lee, Lee, ” Saunders, Craig Williams, Rishi Sunak, Williams, “, …, ”, It’s Organizations: CNN, Conservative Party, Media, Conservative, BBC, Commission, UK’s, Sunak, The Metropolitan Police, Professional, Labour Party, Labour, Conservatives

☆ Britain Election Winner’s First Problem: Fix a Stagnant Economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Eshe Nelson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Our economy has truly turned a corner,” Rishi Sunak, Britain’s prime minister, said last week as he introduced his party’s election manifesto, buoyed by recent data showing that Britain’s economy had exited from a recession more strongly than expected in the beginning of the year and that inflation had slowed substantially. Justifying the optimistic mood, data released on Wednesday showed that consumer prices rose 2 percent in May from a year earlier, touching the Bank of England’s target. That was way down from 11.1 percent in October 2022, when Mr. Sunak started his premiership. Polls suggest there is a desire to eject the governing Conservative Party from Downing Street, after 14 years, in next month’s general election. But lawmakers in the opposition Labour Party have already warned that — should they win — they will inherit a hobbled economy with little room for bold changes.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak Organizations: of, National Health Service, Conservative Party, Downing, Labour Party

☆ UK prime minister’s protection officer arrested over alleged bet on election timing
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Sharon Braithwaite | Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A police constable working as part of the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s protection team was arrested this week for allegedly making bets related to the timing of the general election, police told CNN. The officer was arrested on Monday “on suspicion of misconduct in public office,” a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said Wednesday. The arrest comes days after the Guardian newspaper reported that a close aide of Sunak made a £100 ($127) bet on a July election date before the prime minister had publicly announced the date. Many people in the comments have since reacted by highlighting the news of the police constable’s arrest for allegedly betting on the election. The UK general election will take place on July 4.

Persons: Rishi Sunak’s, “, ”, Sunak, Craig Williams, that’s, Sunak’s Organizations: CNN, UK, Metropolitan Police, Commission, Protection Command, Professional, Guardian, BBC, Met, Sunak’s Conservative Party, Labour, Labour Party Locations: ”, Sunak, Britain

☆ Paris loses stock market crown to London as political upheaval looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —London’s stock market has edged ahead of its rival in Paris as fears grow over the outcome of France’s looming parliamentary elections. The first round of the French elections is scheduled for June 30, followed by a second round on July 7. Hubert de Barochez, a senior market economist at consultancy Capital Economics, said investors might be concerned that a parliament run by the National Rally would penalize banks. In contrast with the political and financial turmoil in France, UK financial markets are “relatively stable,” said Rudolph at IG Group. Credit ratings agencies are already keeping a close eye on France, one of the EU’s three most-indebted countries.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Axel Rudolph, you’ve, ”, OpinionWay, Macron, Hubert de Barochez, Rudolph, Richard Hunter, Mohit Kumar Organizations: London CNN, Bloomberg, CAC, FTSE, European Union, “, CNN, National, BNP, Credit, Capital Economics, IG Group, Labour Party, Interactive Investor, National Rally, Jefferies Locations: Paris, France, United Kingdom, Europe’s, Britain

☆ UK’s MI5 spy agency may have issued Chinese alert to distract from Partygate, tribunal hears
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Caitlin Danaher | Sugam Pokharel | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —A former opposition lawmaker in Britain’s House of Commons has alleged that the UK’s domestic spy agency MI5 may have issued a rare alert notice in 2022 about an alleged Chinese agent as a distraction from the so-called Partygate scandal, according to testimony before a tribunal looking into the alert. The Christine Lee & So Solicitors office on Wardour Street, London, on January 13, 2022. He was the chairman of the now-disbanded Chinese in Britain All-Party Parliamentary Group, on which Lee sat. The UK has since introduced a foreign agents registration act, which is expected to come into force later this year. In a statement to CNN in 2022, Gardiner said he had not benefited personally from Lee’s donations in any way, adding that the money had been properly reported and its source verified.

Persons: London CNN —, Christine Ching Kui Lee, China’s, Boris Johnson, Barry Gardiner, Lee, Johnson’s, Gardiner, ”, “, Boris ’ Partygate, Christine Lee, Rob Pinney, Boris Johnson’s, ” “, Daniel Wilkes, Mr Gardiner, CNN’s Andrew Raine Organizations: London CNN, Communist Party, Labour Party, Getty, CNN, Security Services, MI5, Security Service, Labour, Parliamentary, Chinese Communist Party Locations: Britain’s, London, Europe, ”, Britain, British

☆ Middle-class Americans are falling behind
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Middle-class income growth has lagged behind that of the upper class since 1970, according to a Pew Research Center report published May 31. There are signs that middle-class Americans are dialing back their spending. Fast food joints, a mainstay dining destination for middle-income consumers, are leaning into discounts to placate frustrated diners. Kohl’s that same month reported weak first-quarter results, underlining how middle-income consumers are pulling back spending on non-essential clothing and discretionary merchandise at department stores. Economic growth has been anemic in recent years, squeezing living standards and starving public services of funds.

Persons: ”, Jennifer Jones Austin, Thomas Kingsbury, Narendra Modi, Diksha Madhok, Peeyush Mittal, Modi, ” Shilan Shah, ” Read, Hanna Ziady, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Keir Starmer, Tony Blair, Starmer Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Pew Research, Living Coalition, Data, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Matthews Asia, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Capital Economics, Conservative Party of, European Union, Labour Party, National Health Service, Labour, Conservative Party Locations: New York, India’s, India, United Kingdom, China, San Francisco, Beijing, Washington, Ukraine

☆ UK's populist right-wing party surges in popularity on Brexiteer Nigel Farage's return
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage walks to speak to supporters as he launches his election candidacy at Clacton Pier on June 4, 2024 in Clacton-on-Sea, England. Labour is expected to win 40% of votes to the Conservatives' 19% and Reform's 17%, the online polling showed. Farage's surprise return as Reform leader on Monday dealt a deadly blow to the party, threatening to steal a significant share of votes on the right. In the 2019 election, his then-Brexit Party agreed not to field candidates in hundreds of seats to safeguard a Conservative win. The announcement hurts Sunak's earlier efforts to win right-wing votes by hardening the Tories' stance on migration and the U.K.'s membership of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Persons: Nigel Farage, Rishi Sunak's, Farage, — Organizations: Clacton Pier, Reform, Sky News, Labour, Conservatives, Conservative, Brexit, Tories, Brexit Party, European, Human Rights Locations: Clacton, England, London

☆ UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was fact-checked by his own government before election debate with Keir Starmer
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“Independent Treasury officials have costed Labour’s policies and they amount to a £2,000 tax rise for every working family,” Sunak said. The Conservative Party leader later repeated the claim. But Bowler’s letter could undermine Sunak’s claim to lead with integrity — a pledge made when he became prime minister in October 2022 — as he battles a high-stakes election. In a statement Wednesday, Labour said Sunak had “lied eleven times to the British people” about the party’s tax plans. During the debate Tuesday, Starmer dismissed the £2,000 ($2,560) figure as “nonsense” and said it was based on “pretend” Labour policies.

Persons: Rishi Sunak’s, “, ” Sunak, Keir Starmer, James Bowler, Darren Jones, Bowler, ”, Sunak, —, Starmer, Luke McGee Organizations: London CNN, Treasury, Labour Party, Labour, National Health Service, Independent Treasury, Conservative Party, senior Labour Party, Conservative, Civil Service, Tories, CNN

☆ Rival U.K. Political Leaders Clash in Bad-Tempered Election Debate
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The two contenders to become Britain’s next prime minister clashed angrily over tax, immigration and health policy on Tuesday in a televised debate that at times descended into ill-tempered exchanges as the political rivals talked over each other. The confrontation came exactly a month before a pivotal general election that will determine whether the opposition Labour Party can capitalize on its strong lead in opinion polls and end 14 turbulent years of Conservative-led government during which the party has had five different prime ministers. Almost as soon as the debate started, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claimed that his opponent, the Labour leader Keir Starmer, would raise taxes on Britons by 2,000 pounds a year if he won the election, repeating the claim numerous times. “Absolute garbage,” Mr. Starmer eventually responded. The Labour Party said that the figure was based on faulty assumptions, and Jonathan Ashworth, a senior party lawmaker, claimed in an interview with Sky News after the debate that Mr. Sunak was lying.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Mr, Starmer, Jonathan Ashworth, Sunak Organizations: Labour Party, Conservative, Labour, Sky News

☆ 'You name it, Labour will tax it': UK PM Sunak attacks main rival as he languishes in election polls
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (left), leader of the incumbent Conservatives, and opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer of the Labour Party. The politicians traded barbs in their first head-to-head debate on Tuesday ahead of the July 4 General Election. "I'm clear that I'm going to keep cutting people's taxes as we now are ... Mark my words, Labour will raise your taxes, it's in their DNA. You name it, Labour will tax it," Sunak said. Labour leader Keir Starmer said the £2,000 calculation was "based on made-up Labour policies."

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir Starmer, Sunak, Keir Starmer, Starmer, Liz Truss, Julie Etchingham Organizations: Conservatives, Labour Party, Conservative Party, Labour, Conservative, ITV News

☆ UK general election: Why the economy is the key issue
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Sunak will likely point to falling inflation and a strengthening economy as proof that his plan to “restore economic stability” is working. Here’s what data shows has happened to wages, living standards, the value of the pound, house prices and waiting times for medical treatment on the NHS. “Poor income growth has been an unfortunate feature of economic life in the UK over the last 15 years. On average, households now spend more than 29% of their after-tax income on rent, up from 24% in 2010, according to Zoopla, a property company. NHS waiting lists have grown steadily since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, contributing to worker shortages in the UK.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Tony Blair, Sunak, YouGov, Labour Party Keir Starmer, Jeff J Mitchell, Alastair Grant, Tom Waters, “, —, Nick Ridpath, Liz Truss, “ Brexit, Clare Lombardelli, Brexit Organizations: London CNN, Conservative Party of, European Union, Labour Party, Labour, National Health Service, Conservatives, Britain's, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Conservative, Bank of England, Office, National Statistics, NHS Locations: Ukraine, United Kingdom, “, United States, Germany, Britain, England

☆ Brexit Champion Nigel Farage Says He Will Run in U.K. Election
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Stephen Castle | More About Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Nigel Farage, the pro-Brexit campaigner and serial disrupter of British politics, on Monday announced plans to run as a candidate in Britain’s general election next month, dealing a new setback to the prospects of the country’s embattled prime minister, Rishi Sunak. The surprise announcement from Mr. Farage, who represents an insurgent hard right movement, threatens to upend an election campaign by taking votes from Britain’s governing Conservative Party. Divisive, charismatic and famed for his communication skills, Mr. Farage was one of the architects of Brexit, which a slim majority of Britons supported in a 2016 referendum. His earlier decision not to run in the election was thought by some analysts to have sapped momentum from Reform U.K., the successor to the Brexit Party he once led. Mr. Farage last month said that he would not seek a parliamentary seat because he wanted to prioritize supporting Donald J. Trump’s electoral campaign in the U.S. Mr. Farage is a longtime ally of the former president and campaigned for him in 2020.

Persons: Nigel Farage, Rishi Sunak, Farage, Sunak, Donald J Organizations: Monday, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Brexit, Reform, Brexit Party Locations: U.S

☆ Nigel Farage enters UK election race, in more bad news for Sunak’s Conservatives
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Christian Edwards | Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

While that might not be enough to win Reform more than a few seats, it could contribute to the Conservatives losing dozens more seats to Labour. The Conservatives’ Farage problem will not fade soon. As well as becoming leader, Farage announced he is “coming back for the next five years.”“We already know that the Conservative Party will be in opposition. The weaker the Conservative Party is after the election, the more heat Farage can put on them. There are as many in the Conservative Party who find Farage appalling as there are who’d like to see him join the party.

Persons: Nigel Farage, ”, Farage, Rishi Sunak, Donald Trump, “, I’ve, It’s, Farage’s, Sunak Organizations: London CNN, Conservative Party, European Union, Reform, Independence Party, UKIP, Conservatives, Labour Party, Labour, Tories, Conservative Locations: Clacton, Manhattan, London, Rwanda

☆ Rob Burrow, rugby league star and inspirational fundraiser, dies from motor neuron disease at age 41
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Former rugby league star Rob Burrow, whose quiet strength and relentless campaigning captured the hearts of many Britons after he was diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND), has died aged 41, his former team Leeds Rhinos announced on Sunday. Rob Burrow became a Leeds Rhinos legend during his rugby league career. “Rob Burrow had a huge heart. Kevin Sinfield carries Rob Burrow across the marathon finish line. Rob Burrow, wife Lindsey (who ran the half marathon), daughters Macy and Maya and Kevin Sinfield, who ran the full marathon, all pose for a picture after the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon.

Persons: Rob Burrow, Lindsey, Kevin Sinfield, Burrow, Daniel L Smith, Prince William, Sinfield, “, “ Rob Burrow, ’ Catherine, Jackson, Macy, ”, Danny Lawson, Shields, Maya, MND ”, ” Burrow, Burrow’s, ” Sinfield, Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Starmer, Rob, Sunak Organizations: CNN — Former, Leeds Rhinos, MND, league, Rugby League, England, Super, League, Marathon, Headingley Rugby Stadium, Headingley, British, Labour Party Locations: Leeds, England, British, Lindsey, Britain

☆ An Early UK Election Is Rishi Sunak’s Last Card to Play - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Sam Freedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

10 Downing Street in a downpour to announce the date of the general election — July 4, months earlier than expected — to an indifferent nation. “Now is the moment for Britain to choose its future,” Mr. Sunak said, as water soaked into his suit. Perhaps Mr. Sunak, his party now routinely polling more than 20 points behind the opposition Labour Party, has given up and wants to get it over with. Either way, by bringing the election forward, Mr. Sunak has played his last card. After Mr. Johnson had an explosive row with his chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Sunak was installed as a compliant and numerate alternative.

Persons: Sunak, ” Mr, Sunak's, —, Boris Johnson, Johnson Organizations: Conservative Party, Labour Party, The Times, Treasury Locations: Britain, London

☆ Royal Mail owner agrees to ₤3.6 billion takeover by Czech billionaire Kretinsky
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Royal Mail's parent company International Distributions Services said on Wednesday it had agreed to a 3.57 billion pound ($4.55 billion) formal takeover offer by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky. The offer valued IDS, which owns Royal Mail and international parcels network GLS, at 370 pence per share. Royal Mail has been trying to transform itself into a parcel-led business as letter volumes declined sharply over the years. Kretinsky has said that private investment in Royal Mail was crucial given its challenging situation with poor service delivery, slow transformation and increasing competition. Any takeover bid for Royal Mail would be subject to "normal" national security scrutiny but it would not be opposed in principle, Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt said earlier.

Persons: Daniel Kretinsky, Keith Williams, Kretinsky, Jeremy Hunt, Jonathan Reynolds Organizations: International, Services, Royal Mail, Service, Government, IDS, Labour, VESA Equity Locations: Czech, London

☆ More than 100 business leaders including Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales sign open letter backing Britain's center-left opposition
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Labour's Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves gives a speech on the British economy ahead of the Bank of England monetary policy release on May 07, 2024 in London, England. LONDON — More than 100 business leaders on Tuesday voiced their support for the U.K.'s center-left opposition Labour Party, nearly five weeks before the country heads to the polls. The group, which includes Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and former vice-chairman of JP Morgan Cazenove Charles Harman, said in an open letter to The Times newspaper: "We, as leaders and investors in British business, believe it is time for a change." The writers of the letter claim that the U.K. economy has suffered from a decade of stagnation amid a lack of both political stability and a long-term, consistent economic strategy. The Labour Party has "shown it has changed and wants to work with business to achieve the UK's full economic potential," they said.

Persons: Rachel Reeves, Jimmy Wales, JP Morgan, Charles Harman, Karen Blackett, Andrew Higginson Organizations: Bank of, Labour Party, The Times, WPP, JD Sports, British Retail, Tesco Bank, Heathrow Airport Locations: Bank of England, London, England

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