Marks & Spencer food chief calls for ‘concrete target’ on British produce
Marks & Spencer’s head of food has called on the government to set a legally binding “concrete target” to increase the proportion of food produced at home, as he warned that Britain was becoming “less and less self-sufficient”.Alex Freudmann, the managing director of the upmarket grocer’s food division, which works with 10,000 British farms, said: “If ministers are committed to domestic food supply, then they need to prove it, and that’s why we’re backing our farmers’ calls for a clear and concrete target to increase the proportion of food eaten in Britain that’s grown or reared in Britain.”At present, less than half of the food consumed in the UK is produced here and farmers say it should be much more to ensure security of supply amid global uncertainties including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and the climate crisis.“If [a target] was set down in law, just like the net zero targets are, it could tilt the balance towards farmers and decisions around planning or access to water, which are incredibly painful to navigate today,” Freudmann said.Ministers needed to “fight quickly” as discussions on the UK government’s food strategy restarted this month and “we’re getting less and less self-sufficient”.
Freudmann added that the government should replace complex grant funding with simpler incentives and allowances, introduce new training schemes and apprenticeships to entice young people into the industry and demand the same high food standards on imports as on UK goods.He said not enough priority was given to food production in planning decisions, which have limited the expansion of poultry and egg farms, for example, to meet rising demand.Freudmann said M&S remained committed to sourcing 100% on major products, including beef, chicken, pork and milk, and was investing £7m in supporting farmers to introduce new technology and sustainable farming practices over the next five years.By 2030, M&S said it now aimed for 100% of its British products to come from farms using regenerative practices.“British food is the best in the world and at M&S, we’ve invested millions to support our farmers who produce it.
But the future of British agriculture can’t rest on industry alone,” Freudmann saidHe added that 6,000 farms had closed last year, many of which supported a family.“It’s time to turn warm words into action.”The government has faced protests from farmers over changes to support and taxes, particularly plans to end an inheritance tax break for agricultural land and properties.Farmers have also faced upheaval from an overhaul of the government’s nature-friendly farming scheme, which pays farmers for leaving wildflower borders around fields or reducing pesticide use.The government paused the sustainable farming incentive scheme earlier this year saying it would be simplified but has yet to confirm plans.
Tesla offers Elon Musk a trillion-dollar pay package
Elon Musk could become the world’s first trillionaire if he hits targets set by Tesla, under a scheme disclosed by the electric car company he runs and in which he is the largest shareholder.Tesla outlined the terms of the incentive package, unprecedented in corporate history, in a section of its latest stock market update that began: “Yes, you read that correctly.”Musk, the company said, will have to increase the value of Tesla from just over $1tn now to $8.5tn over 10 years.If he presides over growth on that scale, the 54-year-old will receive new shares that would push his stake in the company from nearly 16% to well beyond 25%, increasing the fortunes of the world’s richest man to more than $2tn
Trump hosts US tech leaders at White House dinner – minus Elon Musk
As Donald Trump hosted leaders from the biggest US tech companies at a lavish White House state dining room dinner on Thursday night, there was one notable absence. Elon Musk, once inseparable from Trump and a constant, contentious presence in the White House, was not in attendance.The dinner, which included Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft’s Bill Gates, Apple’s Tim Cook and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, was exactly the type of event where Musk would have sat at Trump’s right hand only a few months ago. Instead, the Tesla CEO stated on his social media platform X that he had been invited but could not make it. He said he planned to send a representative and spent the day on X posting a familiar stream of attacks on immigration and trans people
Head of UK’s beleaguered Alan Turing Institute resigns
The chief executive of the UK’s leading artificial intelligence institute is stepping down after a staff revolt and government calls for a strategic overhaul.Jean Innes has led the Alan Turing Institute since 2023, but her position has come under pressure amid widespread discontent within the organisation and a demand from its biggest funder, the UK government, for a change in direction.ATI said the search was already under way for a replacement for Innes, who held senior roles in the civil service and technology industry before her appointment.Government sources pointed to a letter sent by the technology secretary, Peter Kyle, to ATI’s chair in July that demanded strategic change and indicated a need for new leadership.In the letter, Kyle said the institute should switch its focus to defence and national security and urged “careful consideration” on having an appropriate executive team in place for such a move
Quantum computing firm reaches $10bn valuation as investor interest builds
A British quantum computing entrepreneur has doubled the value of his stake in the business he founded to $2bn (£1.5bn), after the company achieved a $10bn valuation in its latest fundraising.Ilyas Khan, 63, is the founder of Quantinuum, a UK-US firm that announced on Thursday it had raised $600m as investor interest builds in the cutting-edge technology.Khan set up Quantinuum’s predecessor company, Cambridge Quantum, in 2014 before it merged with the US-based Honeywell Quantum Solutions in 2021.Khan, a former owner of his home town’s football club Accrington Stanley, is now chief product officer at the business and to date has not sold any shares since founding it more than a decade ago
Google Pixel 10 review: the new benchmark for a standard flagship phone
Google’s new cheapest Pixel 10 has been upgraded with more cameras, a faster chip and some quality software that has brought it out of the shadow of its pricier Pro siblings to set a new standard of what you should expect from a base-model flagship phone.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.The regular Pixel 10 costs £799 (€899/$799/A$1,349) – the same as last year’s Pixel 9 – undercutting the 10 Pro by £200 and matching rivals from Samsung and Apple while offering more for your money
‘Slap on the wrist’: critics decry weak penalties on Google after landmark monopoly trial
A judge ruled on Tuesday that Google would not be forced to sell its Chrome browser or the Android operating system, saving the tech giant from the most severe penalties sought by the US government. The same judge had ruled in favor of US prosecutors nearly a year ago, finding that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly with its namesake search engine.Groups critical of Google’s dominance in the internet search and online advertising industry are furious. They contend the judge missed an opportunity to enact meaningful change in an industry that has suffocated under the crushing weight of its heaviest player. Tech industry groups and investors, by contrast, are thrilled
Drawings reveal Victorian proposal for London’s own Grand Central station
Blur’s Dave Rowntree: ‘People think music was better in the old days, to which I say: bollocks!’
Gems review – dazzling technique elevates LA Dance Project’s contemporary ballet trilogy
The Guide #207: How Britain embraced The Simpsons, America’s true first family
From On Swift Horses to David Byrne: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead
Metropolitan gatekeeping has kept Marlowe marginalised | Letters