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Kemi Badenoch has pledged a sweeping programme of deregulation aimed at breaking what she calls Britain’s “doom loop” of weak economic growth. Conservative proposals include abolishing Natural England and the Environment Agency, reversing new net zero housing standards, backing a third runway at Heathrow and repealing rules affecting employment rights, recycling costs and social housing requirements. The party claims the housing measures could reduce new-home prices by as much as £50,000, while other changes would lower business costs. Badenoch compared the approach with Margaret Thatcher’s reforms, arguing that government should be “strong where only the state can be” but restrained elsewhere. Shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith is expected to describe the agenda as “the most ambitious deregulation project in a generation,” with environmental agency functions transferred into Whitehall.

 

The Times

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The US Air Force has removed all 12 B-1 bombers stationed at RAF Fairford following security concerns linked to a suspected terror plot targeting the Gloucestershire base. US officials reportedly said the threat influenced the decision to return the aircraft to their American bases. Five British men in their twenties were arrested near three vans on suspicion of terrorism and explosive offences but were later released on police bail without charge. Counter-terrorism officers are examining whether a foreign state was involved. Andy Burnham said there were “strong indications” of Iranian involvement, while President Trump claimed the alleged plot was intended to cause “big damage” at the base. US officials stressed that American bomber forces remain capable of conducting global operations from bases in the United States.

 

Wall Street Journal

The Times

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has terminated its contract with French health insurer Axa. A spokesperson for the Hague-based court gave no reason for the decision, and declined ​to name the new health insurance provider. Reuters notes that the FT said ‌in ⁠its report that Axa had cited "risks arising from the extraterritorial application of US sanctions." US President Donald Trump recently urged other ​countries to leave the ICC, calling it "evil" and "a rogue institution."

 

Financial Times

Reuters

Queen's University of Belfast (QUB) has been advised by MI5 to review its partnerships with China due to concerns over espionage. MI5 warned that the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI) acts as a front for China's intelligence services. A QUB spokesperson stated that the university takes national security seriously and is conducting a review of existing collaborations with CGTRI. They urged staff to perform due diligence on funding sources for projects involving Chinese institutions. MI5 noted that over 100 UK academics may have unknowingly contributed to CGTRI-funded projects.

 

BBC News

New pro-trade union laws will take effect in the UK on 30 October, allowing unions access to workplaces with 21 or more employees. The Observer notes that Meta has already signed an agreement with Prospect to discuss union membership with its 5,000 London employees. But Patrick Milnes from the British Chambers of Commerce expressed concern about the added complexity for businesses. "These changes are landing alongside a wider package of employment law reforms putting real strain on businesses, particularly SMEs," he said. Additionally, from 1 January, employers must inform workers of their right to join a union. With the Tories and Reform pledging to repeal the new laws, Prospect's general secretary Mike Clancy said unions would be assertive in pushing for change. "We potentially have a two to three-year window to use these rights, so there’s a ticking clock."

 

The Observer

Kemi Badenoch has promised to abolish the £100,000 childcare tax threshold, under which earning just £1 above the limit can leave parents substantially worse off by removing key support. Speaking ahead of the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, she said a future Tory government would eliminate the cliff edge entirely. Badenoch framed the pledge as part of broader tax reforms intended to ensure that taking on more work and earning more always leaves people better off. The measure would be funded by cutting the headcount at various quangos, saving £1.6bn a year. Badenoch has also suggested that cutting inheritance tax could be on the cards, arguing that it was "morally right that people don’t get taxed twice." In an interview with the Sunday Times, she explained: "It is morally right that if you work hard and want to give something to your children the government doesn’t take it away."

 

Financial Times

The Sunday Telegraph

The Mail on Sunday

The Sunday Times

David Reuben, a billionaire property investor and Newcastle United shareholder, has relocated to Monaco, joining a trend of wealthy individuals leaving the UK. With an estimated wealth of £28bn, Reuben's move follows increased taxes under the Labour Government. Reuben's departure reflects broader concerns about the UK's tax environment, as other high-net-worth individuals, like Sir Jim Ratcliffe, express similar sentiments about the country's economic climate.

 

Daily Mail

ChatGPT maker OpenAI has informed more than 100 organisations about incidents involving unauthorised activity tied to its ​AI agents. "In some cases, models used internet access in unintended ways or, in retrospect, did not have the ideal restrictions applied. Over the last ​several months, ​we have ⁠been applying new technical and operational measures to avoid similar problems, or catch ​them very early, and will continue this ​work," ⁠OpenAI wrote in a blog post.

 

Reuters

Washington Post

David Robinson, a safety leader at OpenAI, has resigned, citing a broken culture within the company. In his essay for Atlantic magazine, he expressed concerns that AI firms are not exercising sufficient caution in technology development. He highlighted incidents like autonomous OpenAI agents attacking Hugging Face as indicative of the industry's reckless pace. Robinson stated: "We need to talk about culture," emphasising the need for a cultural overhaul. OpenAI has recently shown signs of caution, pausing model training and scrapping a new AI release after safety concerns were raised.

 

The Guardian

UK like-for-like retail sales fell 0.3% year-on-year in September, according to BDO’s High Street Sales Tracker, marking the weakest discretionary sales performance in seven years. Online sales declined 1.1%, while retailers also missed the traditional boost from back-to-school spending. September’s decline compared with 3.1% growth a year earlier and continued a difficult year in which like-for-like sales volumes have fallen for seven months. BDO described the figures as "deeply concerning" and warned retailers face significant pressure ahead of the crucial year-end trading period. It called for government support in the Budget to ease businesses’ cost burden.

 

The Times

Hyperglobus has appointed former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to its supervisory board, where he will support the strategic development of the Russian supermarket business, according to Russian news outlet RBC. Hyperglobus, which continues to operate supermarkets under the Globus brand, separated from Germany’s Globus Holding in 2025 and is owned by its former head Thomas Bruch. Globus Holding said its former Russian hypermarkets are now legally and operationally independent. The appointment comes days after Russia placed the local assets of another German retailer, Metro, under temporary administration.

 

Reuters

Chinese e-commerce companies including Shein and JD.com have significantly increased their UK warehouse footprint as they build domestic distribution networks to compete with Amazon and prepare for changes to customs rules. Chinese businesses have taken 6.4m sq ft of warehouse space over the past 18 months, equivalent to around 11% of total large-warehouse take-up in Britain and up from 2.2m sq ft in the previous 18-month period. The investment comes ahead of the abolition in October 2028 of customs-duty relief for goods worth £135 or less, which is encouraging Chinese retailers to hold more inventory and fulfil orders within the UK. Chinese companies have consequently become the largest foreign occupiers of new UK warehouse space over the past 18 months, ahead of US businesses at 4.4m sq ft.

 

The Daily Telegraph

A study by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) highlights a significant disparity in how male and female managers perceive opportunities for advancement. Over 40% of male managers believe men and women have equal chances for management roles, compared to just 25% of female managers. The survey of 600 UK managers revealed that more than 80% acknowledged the influence of gender stereotypes and unconscious bias on young women's career prospects. Ann Francke, chief executive of CMI, said: "Men and women are seeing very different levels of opportunity." The report underscores the need for employers to address these perceptions.

 

The I

The Independent UK

Tesco is reportedly considering a takeover of Majestic Wine Group after owner Fortress Investment Group launched a sale process for the UK’s largest specialist wine retailer. Fortress acquired Majestic’s stores for £95m in 2019 and could reportedly receive hundreds of millions of pounds from a sale. Majestic generated £386.2m of revenue in the year to March 2025, although profit nearly halved to £7.8m amid higher costs.

 

The Times

NCP (National Car Parks) Commercial Services Ltd has entered administration for the second time in months, following a decline in demand and costs linked to long-term and inflexible leases on loss-making sites. The company operates over 800 sites and manages more than 200,000 parking spaces. Edward Williams, Timothy Andrew Higgins, and David Robert Baxendale from PwC were appointed as joint administrators on September 30, 2026.

 

Herald Scotland

Stellantis' UK motor finance division reported a £69.3m pre-tax loss for the year, a stark contrast to its £69.4m profit in 2024. The loss stems from a £221.3m provision set aside to address the car loans mis-selling scandal.

 

The Times