Letting China take control of our biggest microchip factory is a terrible mistake
This is a spectacular misjudgement – or possibly worse. The quality of many finished products today largely depends on the quality of the compound semiconductors they use….
Michael Gove takes a wrecking ball to builders’ bottom line in cladding clash
Research from the Home Builders’ Federation (HBF) suggests the number of affordable houses built is set to drop, as big builders pause projects and weather the storm…
‘There are no staff’: desperate restaurants feel the heat as shortages bite
Not only did the proportion of EU workers plummet ahead of Covid, but the pandemic made the industry seem “fragile and unstable,” says Nicholls, which will have…
Russia resorts to DIY software behind the cyber iron curtain
Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine is reviving a Cold War imitation game, adapted for the 21st century. At that time, Soviet apparatchiks ordered factories to make shameless…
Putin’s war is ushering in a new age of inflation and disintegration
Meetings of the G20 are mainly an excuse for international junketing by political leaders, rather than serving any worthwhile purpose. A rare exception was the 2009 London…
Russia lurches closer to default as S&P cuts rating
Russia has moved a step closer to default as the last of Wall Street’s major agencies pulled the country’s sovereign rating. S&P Global cut Russia’s freight currency…
Brussels’ plot to raid City clearing dealt a major blow
In a speech in Frankfurt on Wednesday, she said the EU’s reliance on the City of London is a vulnerability similar to its dependence on Russian oil…
Last-ditch Channel 4 effort to dodge privatisation ‘posed a risk to the taxpayer’
A last-ditch effort by Channel 4 to avoid privatisation was rejected by ministers after they were advised that it posed an unacceptable risk to taxpayers. The station’s offer to…
Double glazing is a better bet than nuclear to solve Britain’s supply shock
In the past the Treasury has opposed efficiency drives on the grounds that industry would struggle to summon up the necessary manpower and supplies. Well, sorry, but…
Gazprom keeps profiting from North Sea gas
Russian state-owned gas giant Gazprom is still extracting gas from the North Sea despite western efforts to cut off the Kremlin following its war on Ukraine. Gazprom…
Threat of more Easter holiday chaos as P&O ferries remain stuck at ports
P&O Ferries’ plan to restart Dover-Calais crossings in time for Easter is under threat as a row escalates between the Government and the Dubai-owned operator. Whitehall sources…