UK

British Prime Minister Sunak avoids wipeout in key elections

By Andrew MacAskill LONDON, July 21 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's governing Conservatives lost two strategically important parliamentary seats on Friday but unexpectedly retained Boris Johnson's old constituency…

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UK tightens rules for bank account closures after blacklisting complaints

LONDON, July 20 (Reuters) - Banks in Britain will be forced to explain and delay any decision to close an account under new rules announced by the finance ministry on…

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UK inflation slows sharply, offering some relief to Bank of England

CPI +7.9% vs Reuters poll +8.2% Core inflation also falls to +6.9% vs poll +7.1% UK still has higher inflation than many other countries Sterling falls as data ease pressure…

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India’s Tata picks Britain for new EV battery plant

LONDON, July 19 (Reuters) - Jaguar Land Rover-owner Tata Group will build an electric vehicle battery plant in Britain, the company and the government said on Wednesday, in a major…

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UK grocery inflation down for fourth month in a row

British grocery inflation eased for a fourth month in a row in July, seeing its steepest decline since it peaked in March this year, industry data showed on Tuesday, providing…

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UK relaxes visa rules to attract foreign construction workers

Britain has added a number of construction roles to its "shortage occupation list", allowing the building industry to bring in staff from abroad more easily to help employers struggling to…

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UK consumer group calls for government action on grocery prices

Competition watchdog to publish report on grocery prices Which? says supermarket prices have risen 25.8% in two years Some prices have jumped by as much as 175%, consumer group says…

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Met Office predicts no hot summer temperatures in the UK until mid-August

The UK won't see any hot summer weather until mid-August, according to the Met Office. While Europe swelters in an unrelenting heatwave, forecasters have predicted that any hot summer weather…

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UK opposition leader: Too soon to look at changes to BoE inflation target

LONDON, July 16 (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer on Sunday said it was too soon to set out whether the Bank of England's 2% inflation target would be…

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One in four UK single parent households unable to afford food

By David Milliken LONDON, (Reuters) - More than a quarter of Britain's single parent households have recently run out of food and been unable to afford more, according to a…

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UK councils call for ban on disposable vapes by 2024

LONDON, July 15 (Reuters) - Councils in England and Wales have called on the UK government to ban the sale of single use vapes by 2024 on both environmental and…

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Strikes at Britain’s Gatwick Airport could hit summer holidays

LONDON, July 14 (Reuters) - Workers at Britain's No.2 airport Gatwick will strike for eight days at the end of July and in early August, potentially causing cancellations and travel…

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UK teachers and doctors to get pay rises of 6% or more

By Muvija M and David Milliken LONDON, July 13 (Reuters) - Britain's government has decided to accept recommendations for pay increases for millions of public sector workers, treasury minister John…

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British recruiters hit by slow hiring, reluctance to switch jobs

Hays quarterly fees down 2% British recruiters flag low confidence in hiring sector Hiring in technology a weak spot for recruiters By Prerna Bedi and Yadarisa Shabong July 13 (Reuters)…

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UK economy dips less than expected after strikes and coronation

By Andy Bruce and William Schomberg LONDON, July 13 (Reuters) - Britain's economy contracted by less than expected in May despite the impact of strikes and an extra bank holiday…

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BBC presenter at centre of sex photo scandal named as lead anchor Edwards

By Kylie Maclellan and Kate Holton LONDON (Reuters) - One of Britain's leading television news anchors, Huw Edwards, was identified by his wife on Wednesday as the BBC presenter…

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Stress test shows top 8 UK banks have enough capital, says Bank of England

By Huw Jones LONDON, July 12 (Reuters) - Britain's eight largest lenders have enough capital to ride out economic stress deeper than the 2008 financial crisis, the Bank of England…

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Britain to remove limits on civil penalties for polluters

LONDON, July 12 (Reuters) - Britain on Wednesday said it would remove the current 250,000 pound ($322,375) limit on fines that can be issued to polluters by environmental regulators and…

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UK government offers concessions over contested immigration plan

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government offered concessions on Monday to members of parliament's upper house after they inflicted a series of defeats on highly contested legislation to make it easier…

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BBC sex photo claims are ‘rubbish’, young person’s lawyer tells broadcaster

Allegations that an unnamed BBC presenter paid a young person to pose for explicit photos are "rubbish", a lawyer acting for the young person has told the broadcaster in a letter.British media…

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UK pension funds back next phase of post-Brexit City shake up

Aviva, Legal & General and seven other pension firms intend to invest 50 billion pounds ($64 billion) in unlisted companies by 2030 to help the City of London remain a…

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Biden meets King Charles and PM Sunak, hails ‘rock solid’ UK ties

U.S. President Joe Biden made a whistle-stop trip to Britain on Monday, hailing the "rock-solid" friendship with Washington's close ally before meeting King Charles for a discussion with the monarch…

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Church of England to draft pastoral guidance on same-sex couple blessings

LONDON (Reuters) - The Church of England will work towards drafting new pastoral guidance and other material needed to allow same-sex couples to receive blessings from priests over the next…

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UK plans to reverse ban on EU-era securities rule -Bloomberg News

British Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt is planning to repeal a piece of European Union-era legislation that required financial businesses to separate the cost of investment research from trading expenditures, Bloomberg News reported…

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Dealing with hecklers, UK Labour’s Starmer vows to shatter ‘class ceiling’

British opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer vowed on Thursday to shatter the "class ceiling" with his education reforms if elected to government, in a speech interrupted by climate campaigners who…

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UK regulator tells auditors to justify ditching risky clients

Britain's auditing watchdog warned accountants on Thursday that they risk breaching a recently introduced industry code if they shy away from checking the books of problematic companies, such as those…

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Battling Brexit, some British firms turn to invest in Europe

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Sick of customs delays and extra bureaucracy since Britain left the European Union, Farrat, a small manufacturer on the edge of Manchester, is ramping up investment…

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UK banks criticised by lawmakers for ‘measly’ savings rates

LONDON, July 3 (Reuters) - British banks faced fresh criticism on Monday for the savings rates they offer to cash-strapped customers, in the latest intervention by parliament's influential Treasury Select…

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One in seven Britons faced hunger in 2022, says food bank charity

11.3 mln Britons faced hunger in 2022 3 mln food parcels provided by Trussell Trust in 2022/23 year Ineffective social security system blamed By James Davey LONDON (Reuters) - One…

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Britain’s royal finances boosted by record wind profits

By Susanna Twidale LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s Crown Estate, which manages King Charles' public property, posted a record profit last year boosted by income from offshore wind leases. In January,…

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Joint European police operation dismantles international phone scam network

Law enforcement from Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom, supported by Europol, have tracked down and arrested the head of a criminal network responsible for defrauding hundreds of elderly citizens.…

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UK’s Sunak plans deal with Italy on Mediterranean migrants

Adds details from Telegraph and background, paragraphs 2-8 June 30 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is planning a deal with Italy to stem the flow of migrants across…

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Britain tightens planned tech law to stop children viewing porn

LONDON, June 30 (Reuters) - Britain said on Friday it had tightened protections in its Online Safety Bill that will prevent children from viewing pornography in an update to long-delayed…

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Squeezed UK households tap into savings at record pace

By Andy Bruce LONDON, June 29 (Reuters) - British households withdrew money from their savings in May at a record pace as a jump in interest rates pushed consumers away…

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UK government plan to deport migrants to Rwanda is unlawful, court rules

LONDON, June 29 (Reuters) - Britain's plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is unlawful, London’s Court of Appeal ruled on Thursday, in a major setback for Prime Minister Rishi…

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Britain loses status as global climate leader, advisers say

By Susanna Twidale LONDON, June 28 (Reuters) - Britain has lost its position as a global leader on climate action and is not doing enough to meet its mid-century net…

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Britain says to sign cooperation pact with EU in financial services

Britain said on Tuesday it will sign a cooperation pact with the European Union in financial services, the latest sign of a thaw in relations since Brexit. The memorandum of…

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Britain’s Prince William launches five-year project to help homeless people

LONDON, June 26 (Reuters) - Britain's Prince William, heir to the throne, launched a five-year programme on Monday to help homeless people in six locations, a cause close to his…

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About 14,000 people in England denied vote due to ID rule

LONDON, (Reuters) - About 14,000 people were denied a vote in English local elections last month after they were unable to provide identification required under a new law, the Electoral…

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Thousands of UK rail workers to strike for three days in July

LONDON, (Reuters) - Britain's RMT trade union said 20,000 railway workers nationwide would take three days of strike action next month in a long-running dispute over pay. Members of the…

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UK shoppers boost spending again despite inflation’s squeeze

Retail sales +0.3% m/m vs Reuters poll -0.2% Economists see signs of consumer resilience in data Data comes a day after latest Bank of England rate hike Separate survey shows…

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Britain celebrates 75th anniversary of ‘Windrush’ arrivals

LONDON, June 22 (Reuters) - Prince William said Britain was a better place thanks to the "Windrush generation", as the nation on Thursday celebrated the 75th anniversary of the arrival…

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Is Britain on the edge of a mortgage market meltdown?

By Sinead Cruise and Iain Withers LONDON, June 22 (Reuters) - Soaring mortgage costs in Britain are fuelling fears among homeowners, investors, charities and policymakers about the growing strain placed…

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Bank of England hikes rates to 5% in surprise move to tackle stubborn inflation

By David Milliken and Suban Abdulla LONDON, June 22 (Reuters) - The Bank of England raised interest rates by a bigger-than-expected half a percentage point on Thursday after it said…

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Britain arrests Egyptian man suspected of organising Mediterranean migrant crossings

LONDON, June 22 (Reuters) - Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Thursday it had arrested an Egyptian man suspected of coordinating the smuggling of thousands of people across the…

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Brexit an ‘economic disaster’ for UK and German trade – DIHK

BERLIN, June 22 (Reuters) - Brexit has been an "economic disaster" for trade and investment ties between the United Kingdom and Germany, leading to a fall in German direct investment…

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UK inflation rate unchanged at 8.7% in May, contrary to forecast fall

LONDON, June 21 (Reuters) - British consumer price inflation was unchanged at 8.7% in May compared to April's data, contrary to expectations for a slight fall, figures from the Office…

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UK to keep Russia assets frozen until Ukraine is compensated

Britain on Monday introduced legislation that will allow it to keep sanctions against Russia in place until Moscow pays compensation to Ukraine, and announced a new route for frozen assets…

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UK health campaigners angered by further delay to high-sugar promotion ban

LONDON, June 19 (Reuters) - Britain's decision to further delay rules banning multi-buy deals on food and drinks high in fat, salt, or sugar (HFSS) has dismayed health campaigners who…

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UK lawmakers set to back report that Boris Johnson misled them over ‘partygate’

LONDON, June 19 (Reuters) - British lawmakers are expected to back a report on Monday that said former Prime Minister Boris Johnson deliberately misled parliament over rule-breaking parties at the…

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Boris Johnson Q&A: why report into misleading parliament still matters, even after he resigned as an MP

The House of Commons Committee of Privileges has released a damning report on former prime minister Boris Johnson, ruling that he deliberately misled parliament over the partygate affair and recommending…

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Why is UK food inflation so stubbornly high?

By James Davey LONDON (Reuters) - Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said this week that British food price inflation had been slower to drop than global commodity prices, despite…

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Man appears in court charged with Nottingham murders

LONDON, June 17 (Reuters) - A man appeared in court on Saturday charged with three counts of murder, the BBC reported, following a stabbing and van attack in the central…

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Dry weather forces water use restrictions in southern England

By Sachin Ravikumar LONDON, June 16 (Reuters) - An English water utility has announced a temporary ban on hosepipes and sprinklers in the southeastern regions of Kent and Sussex amid…

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Boris Johnson wilfully misled parliament, says UK report dubbed “rubbish” by ex-PM

Britain's Boris Johnson should be excluded from parliament for wilfully misleading lawmakers over rule-breaking COVID lockdown parties at his office, a committee said on Thursday in a damning report the…

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UK police seek motive for Nottingham murders

British police were questioning a man on suspicion of murder Wednesday as they sought the motive for a stabbing and van attack in the central English city of Nottingham which had left…

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Britain’s COVID inquiry launches with pledge to put bereaved at its heart

The chair of Britain's COVID-19 inquiry pledged to put the bereaved and those who suffered at the heart of her work as she began main hearings on Tuesday into how…

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