Author: SKYNEWS

Rishi Sunak’s committee of business advisers refused to publicly back the government’s economic policy record on Tuesday amid an escalating row over Labour’s efforts to steal the Conservative Party’s traditional mantle as ‘the party of business’Sky News contacted all 15 of the companies represented on the prime minister’s business council to see whether their bosses would publicly endorse the Tories, but none agreed to do so. Among the companies whose executives sat on the council – which is thought to have met no more than twice since its launch in January – were BT Group, ITV, Nationwide and Unilever.Rolls Royce…

A billionaire is planning to take a two-person submersible to the depths of the Titanic to demonstrate that the industry is safe.Five people were killed in June when the Titan submersible, built by OceanGate, suffered a catastrophic implosion. Now Larry Connor, an Ohio real estate investor, wants to rehabilitate the sector’s public image following the deaths.”I want to show people worldwide that while the ocean is extremely powerful, it can be wonderful and enjoyable and really kind of life changing if you go about it the right way,” he told The Wall Street Journal.He has teamed up with Patrick Lahey,…

Former footballer Ashley Cain is carrying out an ‘ultraman’ challenge to raise money for a cancer charity, after his baby daughter died from leukaemia at just eight months old.The 33-year-old, previously a winger for clubs including Coventry City and Mansfield Town, completed his 34th marathon in 34 days on Tuesday. Cain is crossing Britain three times from top to bottom – once running, once cycling, and once kayaking – over the course of three months.If he completes his challenge, he will be a world record holder for the feat. This is thought to be the first time it has been…

A specialist lender to the agricultural sector has secured a fresh £100m loan guarantee from the UK’s economic development bank.Sky News understands that Oxbury Bank, which focuses on lending to farmers, food producers and the rural economy, has signed a new deal with the British Business Bank that will be announced within days. City sources said the extended agreement, which doubles the sum guaranteed by the BBB late last year, would accelerate Oxbury’s lending into the sector.The new deal includes a feature stipulating that lending activity which meets environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria will be eligible for reduced pricing,…

Eamonn Holmes addressed his split from Ruth Langsford as he opened his Tuesday morning show on GB News.The pair announced on Saturday that they were divorcing after 14 years of marriage. Holmes spoke about the news briefly to thank people for their support.He said: “Just before we move on I would just like to thank people for your support for Ruth and I over the last few days as to the news of our separation.”Your support for both of us is very much appreciated.” Earlier in the show, he had referenced having an “emotional” weekend watching the FA Cup final…

Labour will be both “pro-worker and pro-business” if it wins the general election, Rachel Reeves will pledge on Tuesday.The shadow chancellor will seek to reassure the corporate world of her credentials in her first major speech of the campaign, promising to “lead the most pro-growth Treasury in our country’s history”. But speaking to an audience of company bosses, she will say their success depends on that of their workforce, claiming only Labour can deliver on both.It comes after more than 120 business leaders, including chef Tom Kerridge and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, signed an open letter giving their backing to…

More than 120 business leaders have written an open letter giving their backing to Labour in the general election. Senior figures, including chef Tom Kerridge and former CEOs of Heathrow, JP Morgan and Aston Martin, said the party had “shown it has changed and wants to work with business to achieve the UK’s full economic potential”. They said the public should now “give it the chance to change the country and lead Britain into the future”.Politics live: Sunak denies he is planning to flee to the USBoth Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves have long…

Regulators for artificial intelligence in the UK are “under-resourced” compared to developers of the technology, the Commons science committee chief has warned.Outgoing chairman of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, Greg Clark, said he is “worried” by the gap between regulators and the “finance that major developers can command”. In a report produced by the committee into the governance of AI, the group said the £10m announced by the government in February to help Ofcom and other regulators respond to the technology’s growth was “clearly insufficient”.The next government should announce further financial support “commensurate to the scale of the task”,…

Nicki Minaj has announced the new date for the Manchester concert which she was forced to cancel last Saturday after being arrested in the Netherlands.The rapper and singer, 41, was due to perform for thousands of fans at the Co-op Live but the show was called off at the last minute as Minaj was kept in custody in Amsterdam for hours. Announcing the new Manchester date on X, she said: “OK guys, I was JUST RE-ADVISED that we actually CAN NOT do any other date for the make up #gagcityMANCHESTER date besides JUNE 3rd.Read more: Nicki Minaj apologises to fans…

The Conservatives have promised to cut taxes for pensioners by creating a new “age-related” tax-free allowance – dubbed “triple lock plus”. Currently, people can receive £12,570 a year of their pensions before they start paying income tax on them – the same figure as the personal allowance for those who work. But if the party wins the next election, a pensioner’s allowance would rise in line with either average earnings, inflation or by 2.5% – whichever is higher – from next April, echoing the rules on annual state pension increases.Rishi Sunak said the move “demonstrates we are on the side…