Rishi Sunak takes advisory role with Goldman Sachs while serving as MP
Rishi Sunak is to take on a new job as an adviser to the investment bank Goldman Sachs while still serving as an MP.The Conservative former prime minister will be restricted from lobbying the government on behalf of the bank for another year and will give his salary from the role to the Richmond Project, a charity he set up to encourage numeracy.In the role, which marks Sunak’s return to the bank he first worked for in the early 2000s, he will advise clients of Goldman Sachs on economic and geopolitical interests.Announcing the appointment, David Solomon, the chief executive of Goldman Sachs, said: “I am excited to welcome Rishi back to Goldman Sachs in his new capacity as a senior adviser.”The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) set some conditions for the appointment, including the standard two-year ban on lobbying from the point of Sunak leaving ministerial office in July 2024.
It listed one of the risks associated with Sunak’s new job as his overall oversight of the changes to financial services known as the “Edinburgh reforms”, which benefited banks such as Goldman Sachs, one of the first to remove its cap on bankers’ bonuses.However, Acoba also noted that Sunak was not personally involved in the development of the policy and only met Solomon once as part of a group round table with the financial services sector.Goldman Sachs wrote to the committee, making clear it was not a role involving lobbying, and that Sunak would not draw on privileged information from his time as prime minister, make use of contacts made in government to influence policy, or provide advice on the terms or subject matter of bids or contracts with the UK government.Sunak has largely taken a low-profile approach to life after serving as prime minister from October 2022 until the election last year.He has taken on roles at Oxford University and Stanford in the US, and has made few interventions in politics.
Sign up to First EditionOur morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it mattersafter newsletter promotionSunak and his wife, the IT heiress Akshata Murty, have an estimated combined fortune of about £640m, according to the Sunday Times rich list, making them about as wealthy as King Charles.The list found their wealth increased by about £120m in the run-up to the last general election, when millions of Britons continued to struggle with the cost of living.
People in the US: are you delaying major life decisions under Trump’s presidency?
As Donald Trump approaches six months in office as president, his administration’s agenda has shaken every corner of US life.According to research from Harris Poll, Americans are reconsidering major life events including marriage, having children and buying a home amid economic anxiety under the Trump administration.Six in 10 Americans said the economy had affected at least one of their major life goals, citing either lack of affordability or anxiety around the current economy.We want to hear from you. Have you been delaying major life decisions amid economic and political anxieties? When did things begin to feel destabilized? What effect in particular has delaying life decisions had on your household?You can tell us if you are delaying any major life decisions and your reasons why by filling in the form below
Thames Water refuses to claw back bonuses paid using £3bn emergency loan
Thames Water paid almost £2.5m to senior managers from an emergency loan that was meant to be used to keep the failing utilities company afloat – and has refused to claw back the payments, newly released documents reveal.The struggling water supplier paid bonuses totalling £2.46m to 21 managers on 30 April.The managers are due to receive the same amount again in December, and a further £10
Sony WH-1000XM6 review: raising the bar for noise-cancelling headphones
Sony’s latest top-of-the-range Bluetooth headphones seek to reclaim the throne for the best noise cancellers money can buy with changes inside and out.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.The Sony 1000X series has long featured some of the best noise cancelling you can buy and has been locked in a battle with rival Bose for the top spot
Futurist Adam Dorr on how robots will take our jobs: ‘We don’t have long to get ready – it’s going to be tumultuous’
If Adam Dorr is correct, robots and artificial intelligence will dominate the global economy within a generation and put virtually the entire human race out of a job. The social scientist doubles up as a futurist and has a stark vision of the scale, speed and unstoppability of a technological transformation that he says will replace virtually all human labour within 20 years.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more
Djokovic survives Cobolli onslaught to reach record 14th Wimbledon semi-final
The siren call of a record 25th grand slam title grows ever louder for Novak Djokovic. But he was given a scare by the punchy young Italian Flavio Cobolli, as well as a nasty fall on match point, before coming through a pulsating quarter-final to win 6-7 (8), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4.Djokovic’s reward is a record 14th Wimbledon semi-final, one ahead of Roger Federer, and a meeting with the world No 1, Jannik Sinner, on Friday. It is a battle he is clearly relishing.“It motivates me to see how much I can still keep going with these guys toe to toe,” he said
Wimbledon 2025 quarter-finals: Djokovic defeats Cobolli to set up Sinner clash – as it happened
Before that we’ve got a tremendous Thursday in store, with Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek bidding to set up a first grand slam final against each other – what a prospect that is – as they face the underdogs Amanda Anisimova and Belinda Bencic respectively. Do join Daniel for coverage of those matches, and I’ll be back on Friday. Thanks for your company, as always. Bye!The men’s semi-finals are set. And Friday can’t come soon enough:Jannik Sinner v Novak Djokovic Carlos Alcaraz v Taylor FritzDjokovic’s numbers are ridiculous
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