Healey’s first budget to include big devolution package to boost growth
Posted on Saturday October 24, 2026

Chancellor will build on Burnham’s promise that local leaders in England will no longer have to ‘come cap in hand to Westminster’

Andy Burnham has promised that local leaders in England will no longer have to come “cap in hand to Westminster” ahead of a fresh drive to devolve spending power in next week’s budget.

In his statement on Wednesday, the chancellor, John Healey, will include plans for a new £1.5bn borrowing facility, to be drawn up in collaboration with mayors over the next two years.

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Emirati-linked firms’ ownership of Manchester land ‘up 39%’ in ten years
Posted on Sunday October 25, 2026

Economic ties face scrutiny after scandal over Manchester City’s financial rules

• ‘That’s the way the city works’: how the UAE changed the face of Andy Burnham’s Manchester

Emirati-linked companies own almost 40% more land in Greater Manchester than a decade ago, Guardian analysis reveals, as the city’s economic ties face scrutiny after Manchester City’s financial rules scandal.

The number of land titles in Greater Manchester owned by United Arab Emirates-linked companies increased from 51 in 2016 to 168 in 2026, equivalent to a 39% rise in the total area owned in a decade, from 73 to 101 hectares (180 to 250 acres).

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Nationwide to cut 275 jobs in latest round since takeover of Virgin Money
Posted on Sunday October 25, 2026

Exclusive: Bosses tell staff cuts part of effort to ‘simplify’ operations and ‘remove duplication’ across wider workforce

Nationwide building society is slashing another 275 jobs in the latest round of cuts since bank bosses pushed through a £2.9bn takeover of Virgin Money.

Bosses made the announcement to staff on Wednesday, saying it was part of efforts to simplify the bank’s operations and “remove duplication” after absorbing thousands of staff in to the group’s wider workforce.

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Is London really the most-taxed city? Banks accused of cherrypicking data
Posted on Saturday October 24, 2026

Lobby group’s figures, shared with John Healey, are misleading as they do not include major rival Paris, say campaigners

A banking lobby group has been accused of cherrypicking data and trying to mislead the British government by claiming a tax rise for banks at next week’s budget would leave London less competitive than rival financial hubs.

UK Finance, which represents banks including Lloyds, JP Morgan and Revolut, commissions an annual report tallying up all the taxes shouldered by a large bank, including corporation tax, social security, VAT and bank-specific levies.

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The datacentre next door: on the frontline of tech’s latest David v Goliath battle
Posted on Saturday October 24, 2026

The AI boom is pitting local residents against corporate giants seeking to power their energy-hungry networks – but one Welsh city is fighting back

Dale Johnston opens the gate to his neat suburban garden on the western fringes of Newport in South Wales. There’s a trampoline and a slide on the lawn for his grandchildren, and chairs for him and his wife. He should be enjoying the light draining from the perfect autumnal sky – but almost his entire view is blotted out by a vast expanse of prefabricated panels.

The 23 metre-high grey hulk looming over him and his neighbours is a hyperscale datacentre. It is heralded by the area’s Labour politicians as a job creator, yet all Johnston can think about is what he has lost: “Before, the sun used to come around here and it was lovely.” The way residents have been treated is “disgusting”.

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AI firms say UK has a year to head off datacentre protests before construction is threatened
Posted on Thursday October 22, 2026

Exclusive: Nvidia, Microsoft and Cisco taskforce urges ministers to offer areas greater benefits from tech infrastructure amid fears of US-style opposition

AI companies have told ministers they have 12 months to head off public opposition to datacentres in the UK or risk US-style protests that could threaten their construction.

Successive dry summers and rising energy bills are increasing public scrutiny of plans for the huge computer warehouses that are used to train and run AI models, says a submission to the Labour government from a group including the AI infrastructure companies Nvidia, Microsoft and Cisco.

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Pakistan v England: tri-series one day international cricket – live
Posted on Sunday October 25, 2026

• Live ODI cricket updates from 8am GMT

• Sri Lanka stun England with second-highest ODI chase

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Two changes from their last game.

Pace bowler Razaullah makes his debut and Shadab Kahan returns to the side. Naseem Shah dislocated his finger in the warm up, though his skipper says he’ll be fine for the next match. Faheem Ashraf misses out today as well.

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Alonso urges Cole Palmer ‘to learn’ from red card in Chelsea’s defeat to Spurs
Posted on Saturday October 24, 2026

• Forward sent off after 80 minutes for second yellow card

• ‘We need to have maturity to deal with difficult moments’

Xabi Alonso said that Cole Palmer must learn from his red card during Chelsea’s shock 2-0 defeat to Tottenham, who claimed their first win at Stamford Bridge since 2018 thanks to an own goal from Mike Penders and a late effort from Mathys Tel.

Spurs, who had won on one of their previous 34 trips to west London, were already 1-0 up when Palmer earned a second yellow card for catching Conor Gallagher with a late tackle. The playmaker could have been sent off earlier – his first booking came during a clash with Mateus Fernandes – and Alonso agreed that this could be an important lesson for the 24-year-old.

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