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☆ Voting in the UK and French elections taught me a concerning lesson that Americans should heed when heading to the polls
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-10 | by ( Benjamin Chadwick | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Benjamin Chadwick — a dual citizen of France and the UK — voted in two national elections this year. Emmanuel Macron ran with a centrist campaign, while Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally, campaigned on anti-immigration and nationalist ideals. Related storiesLe Pen became leader of France's right-wing populist "National Front" party in 2011 and renamed it "National Rally" in 2018. AdvertisementIn the lead-up to the UK election on July 4, opinion polls predicted a huge majority for the center-left Labour Party. In France, I feared the National Rally would capitalize on their European victory and take control of the Assembly.

Persons: Benjamin Chadwick —, there's, —, Emmanuel Macron, Pen, Macron, Le, I've, France's, Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, Trump, Liz Truss, Sunak, Rishi Sunak's, he's, Le Pen's, Nigel Farage, I'm, Kamala Harris Organizations: Service, European Union, National, Conservatives, Labour Party, National Rally, EU, Conservative, Britons, Labour, Reform, Populist, Trump Locations: France, England, Paris, Trump, Brexit, Europe, Britain, Johnson's, stoke

☆ Britain cancels $1.7 billion of computing projects in setback for global AI ambitions
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

(Photo by Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)The U.K. government has canceled £1.3 billion ($1.7 billion) worth of computing infrastructure projects, in a big setback to the country's ambitions to become a world leader in artificial intelligence. A government spokesperson confirmed to CNBC that two major taxpayer-funded spending commitments, worth £500 million and £800 million, respectively, were being dropped in order to prioritize other fiscal plans. Earlier this week, British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves announced a raft of spending cuts after revealing Labour had inherited a projected £22 billion ($28 billion) of unfunded pledges from the center-right Conservatives. The Labour government was widely expected to announce the introduction of the first-ever U.K. AI Bill in a speech delivered by King Charles III last month. A DSIT spokesperson instead told CNBC the government would consult on plans to regulate AI in due course.

Persons: Rasid Necati, Rishi Sunak's, Rachel Reeves, unfunded, codebreakers, Keir Starmer's, King Charles III Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, Getty, CNBC, Research, University of Edinburgh, Labour, Department for Science, Innovation, Technology, British Locations: London, United Kingdom, Anadolu, Bletchley, Nazi Germany

☆ Britain's Labour faces an uphill battle as it looks to rein in AI's key players
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

By taking aim at the most powerful AI models, Labour would impose tighter restrictions on companies such as OpenAI, Microsoft , Google , Amazon , and AI startups including Anthropic, Cohere and Mistral. Matthew Houlihan, senior director of government affairs at Cisco, said any AI rules would need to be "centered on a thoughtful, risk-based approach." Even so, a U.K. AI law would be a step above the U.S., which currently doesn't have federal AI legislation of any kind. Sirion's Liu said one thing he's hoping the government doesn't do, is restrict open-source AI models. Herman Narula, CEO of metaverse venture builder Improbable, agreed that restricting open-source AI innovation would be a bad idea.

Persons: Keir Starmer's, King Charles III, doesn't, Starmer's, Matt Calkins, Appian, Lewis Liu, Liu, Rishi Sunak, Peter Kyle, Kyle, Zahra Bahrololoumi, Matthew Houlihan, Bill, Chris Holmes, Holmes, Matthew Holman, Cripps, Holman, Sirion's Liu, Herman Narula, Narula Organizations: Future Publishing, Labour, European Union, Microsoft, Google, CNBC, Conservative, BBC, AI Safety Institute, Cisco, Authority, EU, AI Safety, Tech, London Tech Week Locations: Jiangsu province, China, Ireland, Salesforce, U.S

☆ King’s Speech: Charles unveils Keir Starmer’s plans for Britain, in state opening of parliament
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-17 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The speech sets out the agenda of Keir Starmer, who defeated Rishi Sunak's Conservatives in this month's election. Starmer also formalized plans to renationalize Britain’s rail network in the coming years, and to create a publicly-owned renewable energy company. At home, a number of institutions were targeted for modernization – most awkwardly, the very room in which Charles gave his speech. “The party opposite has successfully tapped into the public’s desire for change, but they must now deliver change,” Sunak said. Those arguments will intensify in the coming weeks, as Labour introduces its first bills to Parliament – beginning with three priority measures from the speech later this week.

Persons: CNN — Keir Starmer, ”, King Charles III, ” Starmer, Starmer, Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak's, Dan Kitwood, Camilla, Black Rod –, Rishi Sunak, Kirsty Wigglesworth, Charles, Bill, –, Theresa May, ” Sunak, Sunak Organizations: CNN, Commons, Labour, Tory, Conservative, Reform UK, Getty, Border Security Command, National Health Service, NATO, – Locations: nationalize, Britain, Europe, Buckingham Palace, Westminster, Rwanda

☆ Pricing is really weird lately
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In today's big story, we're looking at why pricing is so weird these days . More recently, Walmart introduced digital price tags, which some people said could be used for variable pricing. The constantly changing costs have consumers feeling a sense of price fatigue, Emily writes. Emily writes that most economists agree that government-mandated price-fixing isn't the way to go about it. So, as Emily writes, you can't fault anyone for feeling a certain sense of doom and gloom about the economy.

Persons: —, Alyssa Powell, Emily Stewart, Emily, Michael Raines, Rebecca Zisser, Michael Arone, Steve Granitz, Elon Musk, Tyler Le, Larry Page, Biden, Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak's, Jerome Powell, Jordan Parker Erb, Lisa Ryan, Hallam Bullock, Annie Smith, Amanda Yen Organizations: Service, Soviet Union, Business, Walmart, JPMorgan, Wall, Group, State, Navy, Spotify, Labour Party, Samsung Locations: Montana, Soviet, America, USA, Diego, Idaho, New York, London

☆ As Europe teeters further to the far right, the UK is doing the opposite
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Sunak, who conceded defeat on Friday morning UK time, will likely be replaced by Labour Party leader Keir Starmer. Labour's rise, largely telegraphed by pre-election polls, makes the UK a clear outlier in this year's political shifts in Western Europe. Still, the far-right faction there, Vox, struggled to gain a foothold, with only 9.6% of the vote, down from 12.4% in 2019. Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage on July 3, 2024.

Persons: —, it's, Rishi Sunak's, Keir Starmer, Starmer, Jeremy Corbyn, he's, Germany's Scholz, Alice Weidel, Tino Chrupalla, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Sean Gallup, Scholz, France's, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, FRANCOIS LO, Le, Giorgia, Massimo Di Vita, Archivio Massimo Di Vita, Spain's, Pedro Sanchez's, Vox, Geert Wilders, Nigel Farage's, Farage, Nigel Farage, Dan Kitwood, Richard Wike Organizations: Service, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Business, European Union, Parliamentary, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party, Marine, FRANCOIS LO PRESTI, Getty, Italy, June's, Democratic Party, Spain's People's Party, Party for Freedom, Nigel Farage's Reform, Reform, Pew Research Center Locations: Western Europe, Germany, Berlin, France, AFP, Italy, Europe, Netherlands, Clacton

☆ Forget right or left. Voters are sick of whoever's in charge.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Though some say right-wing movements are on the rise globally, in this year's elections, that's not universally the case. Andy Soloman/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesIn short, voters are just fed up — no matter who's in charge. Voters want a chanceGlobally, it's not hard to see an anti-establishment, anti-incumbency trend playing out. So-called "double haters" — voters who dislike both Trump and Biden — have made up an influential chunk of the electorate in recent polls.

Persons: —, that's, Brian Greenhill, Rishi Sunak's, Andy Soloman, Greenhill, Keir Starmer, Rishi, Emmanuel Macron's, Narendra Modi's, Yoon Suk, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, de, Richard Wike, Sweden —, Wike, Mike Kemp, there's, Biden —, Biden, it's Organizations: Service, Business, SUNY, Environmental, Getty, Voters, Labour, Conservative Party, Reuters, African National Congress, NPR, de Maismont, Pew's, Research, Pew Research, Trump Locations: India, France, SUNY Albany, South Korea, —, United States, AFP, Canada, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, America

☆ How Britain Changed Over 14 Years of Conservative Rule
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-03 | by ( Josh Holder | Ademola Bello | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

How Britain Changed Over 14 Years of Conservative RuleSince Britain’s Conservative Party took power 14 years ago, most things have not gone the way it planned. The Economy Has StagnatedAverage productivity growth has declined since 2010…0.0% 0.5% 1.0% 2.0% 2010 2015 2017 2019 2024 Source: Office for National Statistics. 2010 2015 2017 2019 2024 Source: N.H.S. 50% 60% 70% 80% 2010 2015 2017 2019 2024 Source: N.H.S. 2010 2015 2017 2019 2024 Source: Trussell Trust … and thousands more people are sleeping on the streets than in 2010.

Persons: Conservatives ’, England …, Boris Johnson, —, Hong Kongers, Rishi Sunak Organizations: Conservative, Britain’s Conservative Party, Conservatives, Local, gov, Conservative Party, European Union, National Health Service, National Statistics, Institute for Public Policy Research, Public Services, Labour, Commons, Department, Loans Company, Higher Education Statistics, YouGov Locations: Britain, Thursday’s, Germany, United States, London, Ukraine, England, Rwanda, United Kingdom

☆ Betting scandal inside the UK's ruling Conservative Party mars election race
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( April Roach | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON — Britain's ruling Conservative party has become embroiled in a scandal concerning allegations that senior officials used inside knowledge to win bets on the date of the general election. Nick Mason, chief data officer for the Conservative Party, is the latest Tory official to be probed by the Gambling Commission, according to a report in The Sunday Times. CNBC was unable to immediately confirm this and the Conservative Party has not yet responded to a request for comment. Conservative MP for Montgomeryshire Craig Williams, who is also a close aide to the prime minister, was the first to face questions regarding a bet on the election date. The Conservative Party's campaign director Tony Lee, and his wife, Laura Saunders — the party's candidate in Bristol North West — are also being looked into by the Gambling Commission.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Nick Mason, Sunday Times . Mason, Montgomeryshire Craig Williams, Williams, Tony Lee, Laura Saunders —, Lee, Saunders Organizations: Conservative, Conservative Party, Tory, Gambling, Sunday Times, British, CNBC, Montgomeryshire, Bristol North, Commission, Independent, Metropolitan Police, Professional, Independent Office, Police

☆ Human rights lawyer to political reformer: Who is Keir Starmer, the UK's new would-be prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks ahead of the U.K.'s general election on July 4, 2024. The left-of-center opposition party retains a commanding lead of around 20 points over current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservatives, according to the latest YouGov poll. But who is Keir Starmer — Labour's leader and the clear favorite to become prime minister after Britain's July 4 election? Starmer also served as a human rights adviser during former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair's Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement. Labour leader Keir Starmer takes a selfie with students after a campaign event at Three Counties Medical School on May 29, 2024.

Persons: Sir Keir Starmer, Anthony Devlin, Rishi Sunak's, Nigel Farage's, Keir Starmer —, Starmer, Margaret Thatcher's, Tony Blair's, Jeremy Corbyn, Keir Starmer, Christopher Furlong Organizations: Labour Party, Getty, Conservative, Britain's Labour Party, Labour, Conservatives, British, National Health Service, University of Leeds, University of Oxford, Shell, Tony Blair's Northern, Service, Counties Medical School, Wealth Fund Locations: London, England, Victoria, EU, Britain

☆ UK PM Sunak could cease to be a lawmaker in landslide election defeat, new poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks to farmers as he campaigns on a farm near Barnstaple on June 18, 2024 in North Devon, United Kingdom. North Devon has been held by the Conservative Party since the 2015 general election. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak could become the country's first sitting prime minister to lose their seat at a general election, according to the findings of a shock new poll. If correct, the upcoming vote would deliver Labour a supermajority of 382, comfortably more than former Prime Minister Tony Blair's historic 1997 victory. The analysis showed that left-leaning Scottish National Party is set to win 8 seats, while Wales' pro-independence political party Plaid Cymru is expected to win 4.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Tony Blair's, Savanta, James Cleverly's, Jeremy Hunt's Organizations: Conservative Party, British, Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party, Wales, Plaid Cymru, Greens Locations: Barnstaple, North Devon, United Kingdom, Richmond, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, Braintree, Essex, Godalming, Ash, Surrey

☆ UK tech bosses urge focus on AI skills and growth in high-stakes election — no matter who wins
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Pa Images | Getty ImagesLONDON — British technology executives and entrepreneurs want the next government to focus on promoting skills around the development and use of artificial intelligence and growth-oriented fiscal measures. Upskilling in an AI ageOne thing U.K. tech executives are pushing for is fostering innovation in artificial intelligence and cultivating citizens' grasp on AI-centric skills — across multiple generations. Last month, dozens of business executives, entrepreneurs, and investors signed an open letter stating their support for Labour in the upcoming election. Leon Neal | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesSignatories included several influential names in the world of U.K. tech: Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, Founders Forum co-founder Jonathan Goodwin, and Atom Bank CEO Mark Mullen. Tech bosses CNBC spoke with found themselves unable to point to specific policies and plans from either of the main political parties.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir Starmer, Keir Starmer, Zahra, Salesforce, Einstein, Astro, Matthew Houlihan, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner, Leon Neal, Jimmy Wales, Jonathan Goodwin, Mark Mullen, Sunak, Liz Truss, Jeremy Hunt, Danny Lawson, Rishi Khosla, Khosla Organizations: Conservatives, Labour Party, LONDON, it's, Labour, CNBC, Innovation, Cisco, coy, Centre, Getty, Founders Forum, Atom Bank, BAE Systems, Tech Locations: Downing, Salesforce's, Europe, Purfleet, United Kingdom, Ukraine, British, Barrow, Furness, England

☆ 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

☆ Trump ally Nigel Farage's return could be an 'extinction event' for the Conservatives ahead of UK election
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Honorary President of the Britain's right-wing populist party Reform UK and newly appointed leader Nigel Farage speaks during a campaign meeting, on June 3, 2024, ahead of the UK general election of July 4. Nigel Farage on June 3, 2024 said he would stand as a candidate for the anti-immigration Reform UK party at the UK general election next month, after initially ruling out running. LONDON — The shock return of Brexit figurehead Nigel Farage to the political fray could be the final nail in the coffin for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's ruling Conservative Party ahead of its almost certain defeat in the upcoming U.K. elections. But, critically, it threatens to deprive key votes from the Conservatives, who are already trailing opposition Labour in the polls by a dramatic margin. "Even if Reform don't win seats, they'll drain key votes away from the Conservatives," Olivia O'Sullivan, director of Chatham House's U.K. in the World programme, told CNBC over the phone.

Persons: Nigel Farage, Rishi Sunak's, Farage, Donald Trump, —, Olivia O'Sullivan, Tony Blair's, Keir Starmer, Tony Travers Organizations: Reform UK, UK, Conservative Party, U.S, Reform, Brexit Party, Conservatives, Labour, Chatham House's, CNBC, London School of Economics, Party Locations: Clacton, England

☆ 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

☆ History shows how a UK election can impact the country's stock market
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Labour leader Tony Blair arriving in Downing Street after his election victory with crowds waving flags in the background, 2nd May 1997. The more domestically-oriented FTSE 250 has tended to outperform the FTSE 100 following elections, with stronger outperformance following Labour victories, it said. Leon Neal | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesAccording to Capital Economics, the U.K. stock market has faltered on five occasions under past Labour governments. Higgins also observed that the relative performance of U.K. stocks has "generally been underwhelming since 2010," when the Conservatives took office. Three could be attributed to the "unsustainability of fixed exchange rate regimes" between the 1930s and 1970s, one to the Great Financial Crisis, and the fifth to the 1976 Debt Crisis, he said.

Persons: Tony Blair, Jeff, Rishi Sunak, Rachel Reeves, Sir Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner, Leon Neal, John Higgins, Higgins, Labour's, Keir Starmer, Reeves, Venkatakrishnan, Liz Truss, Sunak Organizations: BBC News, Current Affairs, Labour Party, Labour, Conservative Party, Citi, Conservative, Centre, Getty, Capital Economics, Conservatives, Shadow, Economic, Barclays, C.S, CNBC Locations: Downing, Purfleet, United Kingdom, Davos

☆ Shock summer election in Britain predicted to deliver 'historic' result
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak makes a statement in the rain outside 10 Downing Street, announcing the UK general election will take place on 4 July in London, United Kingdom on May 22, 2024. News of the vote came as a surprise to the public, the media and much of Sunak's own party. 'As good as it gets'Bronwen Maddox, director of Chatham House think tank, said the election date had shocked many Conservatives who thought it would be held nearer to the U.S. election in November. Market bets on an interest rate cut in the summer fell as a result, and it now looks unlikely the central bank will cut on June 20, its last meeting before the election. So if that translates to a general election as well, then that Labour landslide is looking much less certain."

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Price, Bronwen Maddox, I'm, Maddox, Rachel Reeves, Sir Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner, Leon Neal, James, Hannah Bunting, CNBC's, Tony Blair, John Major, Bunting, we've Organizations: British, Anadolu, Getty, Conservative Party, Conservatives, Labour Party, Downing, Bank of England, Chatham House, CNBC, Bank of England's, Labour, Centre, University of Exeter Locations: London, United Kingdom, U.K, Europe, Gaza, Rwanda, Purfleet

☆ Britain’s election campaign hasn’t started yet, but the mudslinging is well underway
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

He lost two general elections as Labour leader in campaigns that focused heavily on his views regarding national security. The context for Sunak’s attack on Starmer is that the UK will vote in a general election at some point this year. “Of course Rishi doesn’t believe that Starmer himself is a threat to national security,” a senior Conservative told CNN. It’s just ridiculous and it clearly winds him up when we point it out.”No one knows for sure when the election campaign proper will start. Until then, Britain is braced for months of mudslinging between Sunak and Starmer.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Sunak, Starmer, –, Jeremy Corbyn, Corbyn, Toby Melville, Rishi doesn’t, ”, ” David Gauke, ” Gauke, ” Starmer, “, ” Keir Starmer, Leon Neal, cynically, won’t, It’s Organizations: CNN, British, Labour Party, Labour, PM, NATO, Conservative, Conservative Party, “ Locations: Britain, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Rwanda, Gaza, Sunak

☆ Rishi Sunak has a new target: Sex education
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Ben Birchall/PA‘Utterly disgraceful’The new draft guidance from the government, published Thursday, takes aim at the way sex and relationships are taught to English children in both primary and secondary schools. Under the new approach, children can’t be taught sex education before the age of nine, while “explicit discussion of sexual activity” will be delayed until children are 13. Gender identity, or the fact that people can change gender, is meanwhile “highly contested and should not be taught” at all, according to the Department of Education. But education specialists worry that school pupils have become the latest victim of that push. “But when a political ideology comes into it, it becomes more difficult for the whole of the education world to move behind it,” he added.

Persons: Rishi Sunak’s, “, –, Sunak’s, Pepe Di’lasio, ”, ” Di’lasio, Ben Birchall, can’t, ” Paul Whiteman, Di’lasio, Sam Freedman, Britain’s, Gillian Keegan, Keir Starmer, Jane Barlow, Sunak, Brianna Ghey, ” Whiteman, Keegan, it’s, we’ve, we’re Organizations: CNN, Association of School and College Leaders, Department of Education, National Association of Head Teachers, Institute, Government, The Sun, Labour, BBC Locations: England’s, England, Starmer

☆ Labour's Sadiq Khan wins re-election as London mayor
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan hopes to convince U.S. tech firms to invest more in London. Sadiq Khan was re-elected as London's mayor, final results showed on Saturday, helping to cement the Labour Party's commanding lead over the governing Conservatives in local elections ahead of Britain's national vote later this year. For Labour, London is the latest of a number of councils and mayoralties it has won in the local elections, which took place on Thursday, inflicting heavy losses on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservatives. Opinion polls predict that Labour will win the next national election, propelling its leader Keir Starmer to power and ending 14 years of Conservative government in Britain. Khan, 53, who became the first Muslim mayor of the British capital in 2016, has pledged to build more social housing and work with a future national Labour government to boost police capacity.

Persons: London Sadiq Khan, Sadiq Khan, Rishi Sunak's, It's, Khan, Susan Hall, Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak Organizations: U.S, Labour, Conservatives, Tory, Conservative, Labour Party, Labour government Locations: London, Britain

New Labour Party MP for Blackpool South, Chris Webb (C) reacts as his win is announced at the count centre in Blackpool, north-west England on May 3, 2024, during the Blackpool South by-election. The opposition Labour Party won a Blackpool South by-election, taking the seat from the Conservatives. The Reform UK party, founded by Brexit proponent Nigel Farage, came in third. Labour leader Keir Starmer posted on the social media platform X that the "swing towards Labour in Blackpool South is historic." Angela Richardson, deputy chair of the Conservative Party, told the BBC the result "was not unexpected," especially given the circumstances that sparked the by-election.

Persons: Chris Webb, Rishi Sunak's, David Jones, Nigel Farage, Scott Benton's, Keir Starmer, Angela Richardson Organizations: New Labour Party, Blackpool South, Blackpool, LONDON, Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party, Labour Party, Conservatives, New Labour, Conservative, Reform UK, Labour, Conservative Party Locations: Blackpool, England, Britain

☆ Rishi Sunak: Everything seems to be going wrong for British PM
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Life must seem bleak for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak these days. Sunak has said that he will hold a general election this year, but has yet to confirm its date. It was only voted through by MPs because it has the support of the opposition Labour Party. Anderson is a working-class former miner who is from a part of the country that traditionally votes for the opposition Labour Party. However, Anderson was suspended from the Conservative Party after making comments about the Muslim mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, that Sunak clearly believed were beyond the pale.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, –, Boris Johnson, Winston Churchill, It’s, ” Rishi Sunak, Dan Kitwood, Liz Truss, Lee Anderson, Anderson, Elon Musk, Tesla, Kirsty Wigglesworth, doesn’t, Sadiq Khan, Suella Braverman, Braverman, Johnson, Rishi, ” Sunak Organizations: CNN, British, Conservative Party, Labour Party, ”, Conservatives, Allies, Labour, Sunak's, SpaceX, Reuters, Conservative, “, Adidas Samba Locations: Quebec, London, Rwanda

☆ 'Mr Bates vs the Post Office' — the TV drama that shook Britain — comes to PBS
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-07 | by ( Chris Johnston | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

"Mr Bates vs the Post Office" had a remarkable impact after airing in Britain and now comes to PBS. Jo Hamilton, who ran the Village Shop and Post Office in South Warnborough, Hampshire, was wrongly convicted of theft in the Post Office Horizon scandal. ITVThe program focused on Alan Bates, who along with his partner invested in a post office store in Wales in 1998. Why did the Post Office — which has been owned by the government since 2012 – continue to prosecute people when there were doubts about the software? Advertisement"Mr Bates vs the Post Office" is being broadcast on PBS weekly from Sunday April 7.

Persons: Mr Bates, —, Rishi Sunak, Seema Misra, Peter Huxham, Martin Griffiths, Julian Wilson, Jo Hamilton, Adrian Dennis, Toby Jones, who's, Harry Potter, Alan Bates, Bates, wasn't, John Beer of, –, Kevin Hollinrake, Gwyneth Hughes, Innocent, Paula Vennells, Vennells, it's, James Strong, we'd, Polly Hill Organizations: PBS, Service, ITV, of, Post, Japan's Fujitsu, Office, Getty, Journalists, Computer, BBC, Post Office, Guardian, Fujitsu, Financial Times, subpostmasters, Channel Locations: Britain, Ellesmere Port, Liverpool, South Warnborough, Hampshire, AFP, Wales, John Beer of Farnham, Surrey

☆ Labour opposition deals another historic blow to UK PM Rishi Sunak with by-election defeats
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Winning candidate Gen Kitchen said the result was a "stunning victory for the Labour Party and must send a message from Northamptonshire to Downing Street." LONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's ruling Conservative Party suffered another double by-election defeat on Thursday, as the opposition Labour Party's momentum shows no sign of slowing. The double defeat of Thursday was the latest in a string of unfavorable by-election results for the ruling party in what were previously considered safe seats. "I was very pleased last night to see that we were clearly getting Tory switchers, in other words people who hadn't voted for the Labour Party before, coming out last night and voting for the Labour Party in a by-election." The Labour Party maintains a lead of more than 20 points over the Conservatives in all national polling, with a general election due no later than January 2025.

Persons: Kitchen, Peter Bone, —, Rishi Sunak's, Helen Harrison, Gen Kitchen, Chris Skidmore, Damien Egan, Keir Starmer, Tory switchers, hadn't, Boris Johnson, Robert Ford Organizations: Labour, Labour Party, Downing, Conservative, Conservatives, LONDON, Conservative Party, Kettering Leisure Village, Tamworth, Liberal Democrats, BBC, University of Manchester, CNBC Locations: Northamptonshire, Wellingborough , Northamptonshire, KETTERING, England, Wellingborough, Kettering, Kettering , England, Kingswood , South Gloucestershire, North, Kingswood, Mid Bedfordshire, West Midlands, Selby, Ainsty, Somerton, Frome

☆ As London loses another listing, analysts are wary of writing off the UK capital
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The offices of London Stock Exchange Group Plc, right, in Paternoster Square in the City of London, UK. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesLONDON — TUI became the latest company to ditch its share listing in London, as shareholders voted overwhelmingly for the German travel giant to list solely in Frankfurt. Around 77% of transactions in TUI shares are currently settled via Germany, with the U.K. now accounting for less than a quarter. U.K. stocks are trading at a considerable discount to the rest of Europe, having suffered an investor flight in recent years. London still a contender London has also suffered a number of de-listings and high-profile IPO snubs over the past year.

Persons: TUI, Frankfurt's, Mathias Kiep, London, SoftBank, Rishi Sunak's Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, City of, Bloomberg, Getty, London Stock Exchange, CNBC, Nasdaq Locations: Paternoster, City, City of London, London, Frankfurt, Hannover, Germany, TUI, Europe

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