Wes Streeting issues private ultimatum to pharma groups in NHS pricing talks UK health secretary has warned sector he will publicly walk away from negotiations if his offer is not accepted

NEW: Wes Streeting has issued a private ultimatum to pharmaceutical companies to accept the government’s latest offer on drug pricing by Friday or he will publicly end the talks, raising the stakes in negotiations over how much the NHS should pay for treatments. With @hannahkuchler.bsky.social

Reform UK’s ‘Doge’ unit battles councils for access to sensitive data Senior lawyers and data handlers at some councils have so far blocked access to restricted information

NEW: Several councils run by Reform UK have resisted efforts by the party’s Elon Musk-style “Doge” unit to access personal and commercially sensitive data, slowing the progress of the highly controversial cost-cutting drive.

www.ft.com/content/2019...

Edinburgh supercomputer to get £750mn in spending review Funding comes after Labour initially pulled money for the project last July

A supercomputer at Edinburgh university is set to receive £750mn as part of Wednesday’s spending review, reversing a contentious decision to suspend funding made in the early days of Sir Keir Starmer’s government

Scoop via @annasophiegross.bsky.social

www.ft.com/content/b1e9...

Edinburgh supercomputer to get £750mn in spending review Funding comes after Labour initially pulled money for the project last July

SCOOP: A supercomputer at Edinburgh university is set to receive £750mn as part of Wednesday’s spending review, reversing a contentious decision to suspend funding made in the early days of Sir Keir Starmer’s government.

www.ft.com/content/b1e9...

Ministers look at softening UK welfare cuts to avert rebellion by Labour MPs Government is seeking to save £5bn a year by reforming disability benefits known as ‘personal independence payments’

Full story here: www.ft.com/content/1139...

NEW: Ministers are considering a softening of their contentious welfare reforms that could allow up to 200,000 people to keep their disability benefits, as the government seeks to stave off a backbench rebellion.

England’s drug approval body resists pharma pressure to loosen processes Nice urges NHS to speed up distribution of approved medicines, showing economic benefits of efficient rollout

NEW: England’s drug approval body has resisted pressure from pharmaceutical companies to loosen its process for recommending drugs and is pressing instead for the NHS to speed up the rollout of approved medicines.

W/ @hannahkuchler.bsky.social

www.ft.com/content/4aa1...

Labour must spell out what UK growth will pay for Focusing on benefits to voters’ wallets would help blunt the threat posed by the likes of Nigel Farage

This is a great piece by @annasophiegross.bsky.social, who is dead right about Labour's messaging.

But it would seem that the economic arrangements that have served politicians - and many voters - well for decades are no longer fit for purpose.

But what comes next?

on.ft.com/3ReNrRA

UK border security chief aims to cut small boat crossings by half Martin Hewitt says there is ‘no quick answer’ to problems of irregular migration to Britain

NEW: Border security tsar Martin Hewitt told me slashing small boat crossings by half over the next three years would count as a success.

He said "there will always be people who seek to move" but denied that cracking down on people smuggling was as futile as the War on Drugs.

Reform UK figures plan Maga-style think-tank to build policy and attract US donors Outfit seeks backing from ‘religious conservatives’

Full story here: www.ft.com/content/ecb8...

NEW: Senior figures around Reform UK have drawn up plans for a think-tank called RESOLUTE 1850 that aims to attract Maga donors from America, according to a 17-slide presentation leaked to me

TWO SLIDES BELOW

What went wrong with the UK’s welfare system? Factors behind sharp rise in incapacity and disability benefits are complex and at times counterintuitive

Excellent piece by @annasophiegross.bsky.social and @amyborrett.ft.com:

It was great to chat about welfare, the NHS and whether Keir Starmer has betrayed the left on this episode of Political Fix!

great story by @annasophiegross.bsky.social

Musk expresses support for rival to Reform UK as feud in Farage’s party intensifies Allies of tech billionaire say he has signalled he would back an alternative to populist party

Full story here: www.ft.com/content/d7cb...

... Jeremy Hosking, one of Reform's biggest backers over the years, extends an invite ... 4/5

..net zero policies stoked tensions... 3/5

...there have been discussions amongst some former officials about forming an alternative to Reform... 2/5

NEW: Elon Musk has expressed an interest in backing an alternative to Reform UK, following a spat that erupted last week between Nigel Farage and Rupert Lowe, sources tell me 1/5

David Cameron joins Jeb Bush’s private equity firm Former UK prime minister takes up part-time, paid advisory role at ex-Florida governor’s Finback Investment Partners

Very reassuring to see traditional conservatives like Jeb Bush and David Cameron getting their priorities straight in these dangerous times. Oh wait. www.ft.com/content/9fab...

David Cameron joins Jeb Bush’s private equity firm [FREE TO READ] Former UK prime minister takes up part-time, paid advisory role at ex-Florida governor’s Finback Investment Partners

Lord Cameron of Greensill is becoming an adviser to Jeb Bush’s private equity firm

Story from @annasophiegross.bsky.social, @cynthiao.bsky.social & @antoinegara.bsky.social

on.ft.com/3QMvJVh

Superb chart.

So - I've actually led Ebola outbreak response at USAID.

This is bunk from Elon. They have laid off most of the experts, they're bankrupting most of the partner orgs, have withdrawn from WHO, and muzzled CDC.

What's left is a fig-leaf effort to cover their asses politically.

Nigel Farage’s media company records £1.25mn profit Reform UK leader’s earnings boosted by reality show appearance in late 2023

NEW: Nigel Farage’s personal media company made £1.25mn in profits last year bolstered by his lucrative gig on I'm a Celebrity.

The MPs' register of interests shows that Farage has been paid £265,000 for his work presenting on GB News since July, roughly £38,000 a month.

www.ft.com/content/42c5...

Wes Streeting to ask employers to pay for more staff medical checks UK government wants to boost workplace preventive health measures to cut spending on hospital care

NEW: Wes Streeting plans to ask employers to invest in vaccinations and medical check-ups for staff as he looks to reduce ballooning government spending on hospital care.

Full story : www.ft.com/content/8acd...

Nigel Farage relinquishes ownership of Reform UK Existing rightwing political outfit will be taken over by a newly registered business called Reform 2025 Ltd

NEW: Nigel Farage has given up ownership of Reform UK and created a new structure for his rightwing political outfit, according to corporate filings, as he seeks to professionalise the party ahead of local elections in May.

Full story here: www.ft.com/content/527b...

Ex-Reform UK employees issue claims for alleged unpaid wages Reform says claims brought by former workers — who say they were dismissed after the election — are ‘fraudulent’

NEW: Two former employees of Reform UK party have filed legal complaints against the party in a row over money they say the party owes them.

Reform flatly denies the money is owed, claiming the contracts were 'forged'.

Full story here: www.ft.com/content/072e...

Failed AstraZeneca deal is no way to sell Labour’s pro-growth ambitions On supercomputers and life sciences, listening to Treasury naysayers risks letting work and political capital slip away

While as an all-purpose nerd, I became very angry reading @annasophiegross.bsky.social's excellent piece on what is IMO the biggest and most important two mistakes Labour has made in office thus far:

Labour MPs have set up an internal group to focus on the rising threat from Reform UK as Nigel Farage’s right-wing populist party this week took the lead in a major national opinion poll for the first time. 

www.ft.com/content/ffde...

Government to spend extra £200mn on flood defences in England Environment secretary Steve Reed tells FT previous Tory administration committed a ‘dereliction of duty’

NEW: Steve Reed will spend an extra £200mn on England’s flood defences to shore up crumbling infrastructure.
The move follows intense wrangling last year over funding allocated to flood defences in the October budget w/ @pickardje.bsky.social @pmdfoster.bsky.social
www.ft.com/content/4d8a...